SEWA's GENERAL COMMENTS ON SPECIALAUDIT REPORT
(1)
Use of SEWA's own (Sister organizations)
infrastructure facilities and charging service fees for the same.
From Sewa's inception(Since 1972) its approach has been to provide integrated
services to its members by building different organizations each organization
focusing on a particular service.
Design of "Jeevika"
project is based on this approach of providing integrated services to poor families
in three districts i.e. Patan, Kutch & Surendranagar
by using services of different sister organizations of SEWA. In fact IFAD has
considered this as the biggest strength of the project while designing Jeevika
Project.
In "Jeevika" project
document role of each sister organization is defined from the beginning, even
Memorandum of understandings were also entered into with each organization from
the beginning of the project.
Had respected special auditor gone through the original
project document, he would not have raised quarries on the so called transfer
of funds to sister organizations. All sister organizations have used their resources,
infrastructure facilities, their experience and expertise in respective field
for implementation of the project and have got reimbursement for the use of
these facilities and resources which is according to the policy which was decided
while conceiving the project in partnership with SEWA, IFAD & Government
of Gujarat.
(2)
Providing Services/using own resources :
As per the design of the project Sewa is contributing
30 % of the
Various types of infrastructural facilities and human resources are used
by SEWA and its sister organizations whose expenses are not booked in the project
e.g. salaries of support staff, etc.
(3)
Queries raised are factually incorrect or showing
inflated figures :
e.g.
Special auditor's report has raised a query that expense of a foreign trip to
Berlin of Sewa's representative, was booked in the
"Jeevika" project. Whereas no
such expense of any foreign trip is booked in "Jeevika" project. However, the items produced by beneficiaries
have been marketed/show-cased in the Berlin Trade Fair.
Also Special auditors has raised a query that office
rent of Rs.22,75,000 is charged to “Jeevika” project. Out of this amount rent payable of Rs.19,00,000 is reflecting the future rent payable to inflect figures
and thereby misguiding the authorities.
(4) Charges on Vehicle usages :
Sewa’s organizations and leaders are women and majority
of their work is in the field also in odd hours. Safety of these women is Sewa’s prime responsibility and Sewa prefers to use own vehicles
rather than hiring outside vehicles and it also has financial benefit to the
project because often the trips are of short distances and minimum charges are
not required to be paid. As a result, the total expenditure incurred on vehicles
charges is less than what would have been paid for hired vehicles and is below
the expenditure limit sanctioned in the project.
(5) No Financial Irregularities
:
The questioned raised in the report of Special Auditor
are not proving any kind of accounting irregularities like non-availability
of documentary evidences, production of fake vouchers, or showing only paper
transactions. All quires raised are only questioning Sewa’s expenditure policy or reasoning of expenditure decision
taken. E.g. usage of own vehicle v/s using hired vehicles.
It may be mentioned that ultimately Sewa’s decision
has resulted into saving
of the project funds.
(6) Expenditure As per Project Plan
:
All expenses incurred under “Jeevika”
projects are according to the approved project plan and well within the limits
prescribed in the planned budget.