Fudged records to pay party faithful: CAG flags anomalies in Cyclone Amphan relief under TMC

The auditor analysed 31,457 photographs and found that in 3,126 cases identical photographs were uploaded against the names of multiple beneficiaries. (Express file photo) The use of identical photographs for multiple claims, incorrect classification of damaged houses, duplicate transactions worth Rs 18.07 crore, and grants sanctioned on the recommendations of local political leaders. These are some of the irregularities that the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has flagged in its report on relief distribution and restoration work in West Bengal following Cyclone Amphan in 2020. The CAG has noted that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government’s estimates of damage were “not supported by proper evidence”. The auditor analysed 31,457 photographs and found that in 3,126 cases identical pho