CAG is likely to look into pre-2004 affairs
A day after Comptroller Auditor General for India Vinod Rai appeared before the Public Accounts Committee to hand over the audit report in connection with the 2G spectrum scam, officials in the CAG are now pointing out that the CAG will likely look into the pre-2004 affairs of telecom ministry which was under the NDA-led government. However, the senior CAG officials have refused to reveal the details.
Sources in the CAG have also pointed out that whenever the process to look into the financial matters of the ministry during the NDA period begins, the CAG will be required to make new audit reports of the affairs before 2004.
“We have asked the present telecom ministry and the NDA officials to cooperate in giving access to the pre-2004 telecom ministry affairs. However, it is too early to reveal any thing,” said a CAG official under a condition of anonymity.
Sources have also pointed out that the CAG will soon send letters to the NDA and the present telecom ministry to inform when it will be required to provide access to the pre-2004 accounts of the department of telecom. The decision has been taken after Mr Rai’s meeting with PAC chief Murli Manohar Joshi.
While contradicting the BJP position, the PAC chief had earlier stated: “The parliamentary committee was not limited just to the CAG report but can look at telecom policy even during the NDA years.”
CAG officials, after Mr Rai’s meeting with Dr Joshi, added, “Since the PAC will like to look in the telecom policy during the NDA years, the CAG will soon start working on an audit report which will specifically look into the Department of Telecom matters during the NDA years.”
CAG officials on Tuesday also pointed out that so far the PAC’s agenda is only 2G but if required, previous reports of the NDA years will also be provided to the PAC. However, a senior CAG official also said, “We are working according to the requirements of the PAC and we cannot discuss the policy decisions at the moment.” The official further added, “So far the members of the PAC have expressed their wish to know report to know on why the report starts from 2004.”
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