Flagging the issue of pending CAG reports, Delhi Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has asked the Chief Secretary to take necessary steps to ensure the reports are tabled in the Vidhan Sabha during its two-day session commencing Thursday.
The LG secretariat has also asked the Chief Secretary to bring to the attention of Chief Minister Atishi about the pendency of the reports and request her action in this regard.
As of now, 12 CAG Reports dealing with matters that include three State Finances Audit, Prevention of Vehicular Air Pollution, Public Health Infrastructure and Services, Regulation and Supply of Liquor, Children in need of care and protection, Revenue in economic, social and general sectors and PSUs, two Finance Accounts and two Appropriation Accounts, are pending since 2021.
The LG Secretariat has also written to the Principal Secretary (Finance) to ensure laying of “Performance Audit Report of the CAG on Public Health Infrastructure and Management of Health Services relating to the GNCTD.”
The letter has urged to bring to the notice of the Chief Minister the constitutional and statutory provisions of Article 151 of the Constitution, Section 48 of the GNCTD Act and Regulation 210 of the Audit & Accounts Regulations, 2007, which provides for mandatory laying of the reports of the CAG by the GNCTD in the Legislative Assembly of Delhi.
In accordance with the said constitutional and statutory provisions, the CAG has been forwarding Audit Reports on the State Finances and Performance on various sectors related to governance in Delhi.
The CAG while forwarding the Audit Reports has very categorically asked the GNCTD to submit the same to the LG under Section 48 of the GNCTD Act for laying these reports before the Assembly according to Article 151 of the Constitution. These communications have been duly forwarded by the LG Secretariat to Finance Department, GNCTD for initiating process for their expeditious laying in the Assembly.
In a series of communications, the LG Secretariat received such letters, last on 18.07.2024 and 19.09.2024 from the CAG to enable the laying of these reports in the Legislative Assembly of Delhi.
The matter of delay of laying of all CAG Reports has been taken up with the Finance Department, GNCTD, Speaker (Vidhan Sabha) and the Chief Minister by the LG on various occasions.
However, no proposal for laying these CAG Reports before the Assembly have been submitted by GNCTD to the LG, who constitutionally makes them to be laid in the Vidhan Sabha, have been received so far.
The CAG reports are vital to assess the financial and the administrative health in a democratic setup. Adherence to the constitutional mandate of placing such reports on the table of the Legislature from-time-to-time without any delay is an essential ingredient of a functional democracy so that future course corrections are made.
