Three reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on controversial subjects could not tabled on Tuesday, the last day of the Budget session. The reports were on the allocation of coal blocks, ultra mega power projects and modernisation of the Delhi airport by the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL).
Using its prerogative to select the timing for tabling the report, the Government decided to make these available to Parliament only in the monsoon session.
Sources in the CAG said the reports were made available to the Finance Ministry on May 11. “Now, it is up to the Ministry to table them,” they said. Sources in the Government said the reports will be tabled at an appropriate time.
According to Parliamentary procedure, all CAG reports have to be tabled in Parliament for detailed examination by the Public Accounts Committee.
“CAG reports are meant for Parliament. All reports will have to be tabled by the Government. But it's the prerogative of the Government to decide the timing of the presentation,” the former Secretary-General of Lok Sabha, Mr P.D.T. Achary, said.
The matter was not listed either in the Rajya Sabha or in the Lok Sabha's list of business. The Coal Ministry said it was unaware of any CAG report. “We have not received any such report,” the Coal Minister, Mr Sriprakash Jaiswal, said.
Uproar in Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha witnessed frequent disruptions following Opposition uproar over the CAG reportedly pointing to a loss of over Rs 1,80,000 crore to the exchequer in the allotment of coal blocks to private companies. The auditor and Reliance Power were on a warpath on the report on Ultra Mega Power Projects, including the one in Sasan, Madhya Pradesh.
DIAL's modernisation drive was also under CAG's scrutiny. The Civil Aviation Minister, Mr Ajit Singh, told Rajya Sabha recently that all accounts of DIAL would be audited by CAG as the Government was a stakeholder in the project.