Chandigarh, Oct. 11 -- A UT audit found financial and procedural lapses in the public health division's functioning, including a Rs.32 lakh cost escalation on a government school project, non-recovery of contractor penalties and expired bank guarantees to the tune of Rs.10 lakh. The audit also found that 70 of the division's 113 sanctioned posts were vacant, leaving only 43 employees to manage its responsibilities.

The test audit, conducted by the office of the director general of audit (Central), Sector 17-E, examined records from April 2023 to March 2025. The division, under the UT engineering department, handles public health infrastructure, rainwater harvesting, stormwater drainage and air-conditioning maintenance at government insti...