CAG puts Government in docks

Yet once again Comptroller and Auditor General of India have stirred the hornet’s nest.  It puts the Union Government in docks. Three CAG reports pertaining to coal blocks allotment, Delhi Airport development and ultra mega power project of Reliance Power Ltd. were tabled in the Parliament. According to the report, state exchequer has lost a profit of 3.8 lakh crore rupees in these transactions with 1.86 lakh crore rupees loss only in coal business. These are mind- boggling figures. Ordinary Indian fails to believe what he is reading in newspapers or what is being projected by the electronic media. There is more bewilderment than sense of loss in the first instance of disclosing these incredible figures.
The UPA Government is dogged by scams beginning in 2011 with 2G Spectrum, Adarsh building and the huge deposits in foreign banks. These earned our country a bad name. We are counted among most corrupt countries of the world. Resentment and protests by sections of civil society made little impact and the Government put its act together to defend its position. Niggardly statements issued by the Government and half-hearted steps taken by it to get at the roots of the disease have not been helpful. At the end of the day, there has emerged sort of stand off between the Government in power and the CAG. In the briefing of Congress leadership on the Coal block allotment issue, aspersions were cast on the CAG, and, as usual, instead of clarifying the Government’s stand, escape was sought in levelling counter allegations to castigate the opposition especially the BJP. CAG is an important democratic institution raised by the Constitution of India. It will be a sad commentary for the democratic Indian Government to cast aspersions on a democratic institution set up by and functioning under constitutional provision.
In addition, checks and balances is the accepted norm in a democratic dispensation to prevent the governing authority from outstripping the limits of it authority. CAG is a mechanism that falls within the ambit of checks and balances paradigm. No Government can claim to be more patriotic than other democratic institutions of the State. CAG’s foremost interest is not to castigate or deride the Government but to protect the interests of the state and its citizens. The UPA needs to develop and patronize an attitude towards CAG and other democratic institutions as discharging their assigned duty within the ambit of the constitution. And if the Government feels at any given point of time that it has sufficient evidence to show that any of the democratic institutions is not functioning in accordance with the mandate of the constitution, it is free to take any action within the framework of the law to repair the damage.
It has also to be pointed out that the opposition has to demonstrate a sense of responsibility while reacting to reports of a democratic institution like the CAG that raises issues of propriety and safeguarding national interests. No mature and responsible opposition looses the sight of its accountability to the people and to the larger interests of the country.  However, the  Government has to be given sufficient time to examine the report and come back to the Parliament with its explanation. For example, the Government claims that it has partly carried out competitive bidding for coal blocks and in some cases it did make direct allocations. This is a verifiable position and does no justify to be earmarked as mega scam. There is much meaning in the words of the Congress spokesman that it is important to understand the basis of development economics in our country.  In final analysis, we think it proper to give the Government reasonable time to study the report and come back to the parliament with its clarifications and explanation. The Government need not be told that it is answerable to the Parliament and it cannot shy away from discharging that responsibility.

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