Ranchi, April 1: Fresh notices have been served on the state police construction corporation to furnish details on the utilisation of Rs 70 crore, which finance officials, allege has remained “unaccounted for” over the past one year.

Sources said, last year the home department earmarked Rs 70 crore for repair, renovation and construction of police stations, outposts, pickets and boundary walls of police stations.

The officials said most police stations in the state are in dilapidated condition with leaking roofs and crumbling walls — many on the verge of collapse.

Officials said allotment letters were issued to the Jharkhand Police Construction Corporation (JPCC) to enable it to carry out the work.

However, just before the last fiscal year, 2002-03, came to a close, JPCC withdrew the entire amount of Rs 70 crore from the state treasury and deposited it into its bank account.

“Over the past one year, no work has been done by JPCC. Neither has the amount has been refunded to the state treasury nor has JPCC bothered to submit any utilisation certificates for the amount,” officials said.

They added that an inquiry has been ordered into the affairs of JPCC.

A senior finance official said all fresh allotments of funds to JPCC have now been stopped. They added that the ban would continue till utilisation certificates are furnished by JPCC and a physical verification of work done by the corporation is carried out to the satisfaction of the home department.

Finance officials, however, conceded that though rules prohibit deposit of plan money in personal bank accounts, most state departments have got into the habit of withdrawing their budgetary funds and depositing them into their bank accounts to “save” the funds from lapsing.

The officials said steps were being initiated to stop the practice.

Finance officials today said they have been successful in preventing the March 31 loot from various Jharkhand treasuries, which had been rampant since the days of unified Bihar.

Officials said at the beginning of this month the finance department put an embargo on issue of authority letters for all projects that were likely to remain incomplete before March 31.

Strict vigil at all state treasuries were maintained throughout the day to prevent unauthorised withdrawals.