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The scathing report of the State Comptroller and Auditor General (Commercial) on the fiscal performance of some of the Maharashtra Government companies and statutory corporations for 2009-10 will be tabled in the State Legislature on the last day of the ongoing budget session.
Government sources told Business Line that among other observations, the report has pointed out some irregularities in the power and tourism sector. While compiling the CAG report, there has also been inordinate delay in getting information from the State Government departments.
The report was sent to the State Government in February. Given the nature of the contents, it is now expected to be placed on the final day of the current session, which is likely to be in the fourth week of April, sources said.
“In a neighbouring State, the situation is very different. CAG's request for information from a department is complied within a specific time limit. There have been instances when even Principal Secretaries of that State have called up junior officers in CAG and have shared information,” sources said.
Rules stipulate that the report should be first placed before the members of the Legislature before making it public.
The Comptroller and Auditor General's (Duties, powers and conditions of service) Act 1971, section 19.A-3, asks the State Government to table the report in the Legislature as soon as possible.
Sources said that report for the fiscal 2006-7 was also delayed. Copies of the report were handed over to the State Finance Department in January 2008, with an understanding that it would tabled in the Budget session of March 2008.
The report was never tabled in that session and Mumbai office of the CAG's had to regularly take up with the Chief Secretary and the Principal Secretary (Finance) for placing it in the monsoon session. It was pointed out by CAG that not placing the report was a violation of the CAG Act. After intense pursuit and delay of nine months, it was finally placed in the winter session in December 2008, sources said.
Similar was the fate of the 2007-08 report, which after much delay was tabled in December 2009. The fiscal 2008-09 report was tabled on time in April 2010, sources added.
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