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| Auditor General's office on time, state delayed tabling by 'design' | | Facts belie claim! | | Syed Junaid Hashmi
JAMMU, Mar 3: State government today put the blame squarely on Auditor General's office for delay in tabling the audit report of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India but official communications belie this claim.
Early Times investigation revealed that Auditor General's office had given copies of CAG's Audit Report on State Finances for the year ended 31st March, 2013; Audit Report on Revenue Sector and Public Sector Undertakings (Social, General, Economic Sectors); Finance Accounts 2012-13 (Volume-I); Finance Accounts 2012 - 13 (Volume-11); and Appropriation Accounts for year 2012-13 to both state government and Governor N.N.Vohra's office on February 12, 2014.
It was Principal Accountant General (PAG) Audit for Jammu and Kashmir Subhash Chander Panday who had personally handed over the copies to both the state government and Raj Bhawan on February 12, 2014, said the sources. They added that PAG had told the government about delay in the finalization of the audit Report on Social, Economic and General Sectors. Even this report was handed over the government as well as Governor's office in February 28, said the sources.
The report got delayed because CAG was out-of-station and he had to sign it, sources disclosed. They maintained that this report was signed on February 27 and auditor General's office sent it to the relevant government quarters on February 28. Since the governor had already approval laying of report in both the houses of state legislature on February 24, they should have tabled the report but they preferred to keep this report for the last day of the budget session for reasons best known to them.
Regarding the printing or availability of copies of report, sources in the AG's office said that it is a precedence that the copies are supplied to the two houses as and when notification for laying the report is issued. "There is no delay on our part. We were ready days before even the budget was read. If they would have wanted us to speed-up, we could have given them all the report as and when they would have asked," said the officials in the Auditor General's office.
Regarding the contents in the report, the officials maintained complete silence. However, sources in the State Vigilance Commission (SVC) said that it was an 80 page interim report of the auditor general which led to them investigating the cases of vesting of rights over encroached as well as occupied land. The report is part of the CAG's findings where strictures have been passed against several officers which includes Deputy as well as Divisional Commissioners.
Earlier in the day, State government claimed that there was nothing unusual in Governor N.N.Vohra issuing a handout about his approval or order for tabling the report in the two houses of the state legislature.
Minister for Finance Abdul Rahim Rather said "There is nothing unusual. We are yet to receive copies from Auditor General's office. Once we get the copies, we would table the report in both the houses. I think, the copies must have arrived. If they have arrived, we would table the report tomorrow."
He added "I do not know how the news was spread about Governor's assent. There is no confusion." Rather said this after PDP MLC Syed Naeem Akhtar Andrabi raised the issue immediately after the question hour. He said "State government is yet to table the Audit report despite Governor N.N.Vohra going public about having giving approval for tabling the report on February 24. The government wants to table it on the last day of the session which is very unfortunate." |
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