PAC flooded with petitions to consider CAG report on Gadkari

The Public Accounts Committee of Parliament may soon take up the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) report on the irregularities in implementation of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s subsidy schemes, in which Union Minister Nitin Gadkari’s name is mentioned.

The panel has received representations from various organisations and individuals demanding that the report should be considered by the panel at the earliest.

Confirming that the panel has received representations, PAC chairman KV Thomas said the panel will take a final call on the issue soon.

He, however, said he cannot divulge the details of the representations. “The panel will consider such requests,” he said.

Thomas added that the panel is waiting for Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari’s direction on the report.

“The report should be directed to us or the Committee on Public Undertakings either by the Speaker of Lok Sabha or by the Chairman of Rajya Sabha. In this case, the matter was discussed in the Rajya Sabha. The Minister has said there that he is ready to face the PAC. We are waiting for the Chairman’s direction on the report,” he said.

Gadkari had said in the Rajya Sabha that he is ready to face any probe on the issue and the CAG report should go to the PAC as per procedure. The report had named Gadkari in connection with violations in terms and conditions for subsidy schemes availed by Purti Sakhar Karkhana Ltd, a company promoted by him.

The Congress had raised the CAG report in the Rajya Sabha during the budget session of Parliament.

The House was disrupted for a couple of days on the issue.

A discussion was allowed on the insistence of the Opposition. Gadkari, however, denied all the allegations and said that the company had repaid the loan.

COMMENT NOW