CAG says it has not questioned government policies

NEW DELHI: Under attack from government, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) today said it has not questioned the policies of the government but talked about lacunae in their implementation.

"Let me clarify. Nowhere in the audit reports we have questioned the government policy", Deputy CAG A K Patnaik told reporters here.

He said the audit objective has been to see how the policy has been implemented. "Was there any lacunae in the implementation (or) any particular policy that has got delayed because of certain factors which we find from the government records."

Patnaik was addressing a press conference to explain the features of the CAG audit reports on coal mine allocation, Ultra Mega Power Projects and Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL).

The reports, which were tabled before the Parliament earlier, had observed out that an estimated benefit of over Rs 3.06 lakh crore provided to private parties in coal blocks allotment without bidding, Delhi airport development and diversion of coal to a power project.

Commenting on the report, Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy has said the reports were not final and accused the auditor of not following its mandate.

"I am not going to say anything on the merit of this. Because unfortunately CAG has got a mandate under the Constitution. According to me, the CAG is not following its mandate, which I feel, I wish to bring to notice," the Minister said.