Law Minister Ashwani Kumar questions integrity of CAG
Mangalore Today Network
New Delhi, Nov 23, 2012 : With a former CAG official making fresh allegations about 2G allocation losses, Law Minister Ashwani Kumar today questioned the integrity of the government auditor and demanded that truth behind the CAG’s presumptive loss estimate of Rs 1.76 lakh crore be made public.
"Certainly some of the findings of the CAG have now become very doubtful. People are entitled to know what is the truth that has now come out," Kumar told reporter outside Parliament House.
His reaction came after CAG’s former Director General R P Singh had questioned the body’s estimates of presumptive loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore.
"After completing the audit of Ministry of Telecom, which was under my direct charge, I prepared a draft audit report covering each and every aspect ... My report did not contain any loss figure," Singh had said.
The Law Minister said, "I think the conversation between the chairman of PAC and CAG without knowledge of other members of the PAC should be made public" and adde there is "need to preserve the integrity" of Constitutional institutions like CAG.
2G loss figure presumptive, MM Joshi influenced report: Ex-CAG officer
CAG’s ex-principal auditor RP Singh on Friday made startling revelations about the agency’s 2G report saying that it was audited without guidelines and influenced by Public Accounts Committee Chairman Murli Manohar Joshi. In an exclusive interview to CNN-IBN, Singh further stated that the loss figure of Rs 1.76 lakh crore was presumptive, which he had deleted from the draft report but which was restored in the final copy.
Singh disowned the report saying it was not his and that he was merely asked to sign on it. He further asked that leaks by the office of the CAG be investigated.
"This loss figure (of Rs 1.76 lakh crore) did appear before me in a draft audit report submitted by my field office. I carried out discussion with them. I asked for the supporting documents, on what basis they are saying these are the losses. They said, ’we are taking it as presumption’. I said in performance audit there is nothing called presumption loss. So I deleted this figure and while forwarding my version of report, I clearly mentioned why I am deleting these figures. It seems that at the time of examination in CAG office, these loss figures were restored," said Singh.
Reacting to the news, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said, "This matter will be discussed in Parliament today. Many members have called me that they want an inverstigation. It’s a serious matter. What conpiracy is on in CAG they say."
Congress leader PL Punia said, "It proves and shows that BJP can go to any level for their political benefit. They misuse a constitutional body for their political benefit. This is also condemnable that they force members of CAG and misuse them. I think this should be investigated by a Supreme Court judge and truth should come before people of the nation."
Outspoken Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh remarked, "Once again what I said has come correct, for that reason now the government wants to audit it. This is a very serious issue that the person who audits it, his report has been exaggerated and presented. As far as I know, 2G has already been audited. Now he has come out very categorically that he was forced to do so. This is a very serious charge against one of the most experienced and senior member, Murli Manohar Joshi. He should come out with clarification. I wonder, how are these drafts being leaked to the media first before Parliament. I am trying to find out that how many times the media has got this report before the government did."