CAG won't share findings with Shunglu committee

The Prime Minister appointed VK Shunglu panel to probe the alleged irregularities related to the Commonwealth Games has hit a roadblock with the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) refusing to share its findings with the panel. Nagendar Sharma and Aurangzeb Naqshbandi report.

The Prime Minister appointed VK Shunglu panel to probe the alleged irregularities related to the Commonwealth Games has hit a roadblock with the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) refusing to share its findings with the panel.

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Hindustan Times has learnt that the CAG has communicated its unwillingness to the Prime Minister's Office and the newly formed two-member Shunglu panel to provide any report to any other authority before it is placed before Parliament.

The CAG is understood to have pointed out that being a "constitutional authority" it is answerable only to Parliament, which has the exclusive right over its reports.

The CAG has further stated that given such a scenario, it should not be expected to provide any reports either to the panel or to the PMO.

Asked for his response to the stand taken by the CAG, Shunglu replied: "I have heard about this. I have no intention of impinging on the authority of any institution."

Shunglu said he had not sought any documents or information from any of the agencies probing the games related irregularities so far.

"The whole idea is to have a coordinated probe to arrive at definite conclusions," said Shunglu, a former CAG himself.

The government is surprised at the stand taken by the CAG on the issue.

"The constitutional position of the CAG is well known, there is no dispute, but information sought by any other probe agency can certainly be provided. Nobody is asking for CAG reports or findings," said a highly placed source.

"A lot of CAG probe related information on the CWG is already coming out in the media, so it is already in the public domain. There is no need for such insecurity," the source said.

Yet there are no indications whether the Shunglu panel or the PMO would like to join issue with the CAG, which has made it clear that all confidential documents would be first placed in Parliament.

Shunglu has been provided the status of a Supreme Court judge and the terms of reference decided for his panel provides sweeping powers to conduct the probe.

The panel has been given three months time to submit its report.