Why is CAG not auditing ad spends of Centre, other states, asks Kejriwal

The Delhi chief minister dared the central auditor to come up with rules that bar the state government from advertising outside Delhi.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal termed the Comptroller and Auditor General’s audit report on the Delhi government’s ad spend as “politically motivated” and accused the auditor of acting at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The Delhi chief minister dared the central auditor to come up with rules that bar the state government from (Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)

“There was a time when the CAG used to unearth 2G and coal scam. But it’s painful that now it is doing politics. The moot question is why is the incumbent CAG doing so? I don’t want to get into detail, but everybody knows how his name is involved in something. I would request the CAG to leave politics for politicians,” Kejriwal told reporters at Delhi assembly.

The Delhi chief minister dared the central auditor to come up with rules that bar the state government from advertising outside Delhi.

“All governments are doing it. If we have improved ease of doing business then we will like to advertise in Mumbai, requesting people to invest in Delhi. Other governments spend crores in holding investors’ summits. We chose to reach out by putting out advertisements. What’s wrong with it?” the AAP national convener said.

The chief minister said his government had requested the CAG to audit the advertisement budget of others states and the Centre, but the central auditor refused to conduct it.

“We had said that if you audit states, it will help in comparing where do we all stand. The Centre spends hundreds of crores even for small programmes. Audit that as well. But CAG refused and they said there is no future plan as well. A glimpse of politics is visible (in the CAG audit). Why will you audit only the expenditure of Delhi government? Are they following directions from the BJP?” Kejriwal said.

Refuting the observations that the Delhi government advertisements on saving money in construction of flyovers and dispensaries were non-verifiable, Kejriwal said all related documents were provided to the auditors.

‘CAG reports vindicates AAP’s claims on MCDs’

Accusing the BJP-ruled MCDs of making the municipal bodies a centre of corruption, AAP leader Dilip Pandey said the CAG report submitted to the assembly on Friday vindicated their stand.

“The MCD has not fulfilled its responsibilities to control vector-borne diseases. BJP has changed the nomenclature of the MCD from municipal corporation of Delhi into malaria chikunguniya and dengue. BJP and Congress have made MCD a centre of corruption and Delhi as a dustbin,” he said.

He said CAG made it clear the municipal bodies did not have shortage of funds to control vector-borne diseases.

“The CAG clearly said in its report, which we were saying, that the MCD was not prepared to stop these diseases. The shocking finding of CAG is that all three MCDs had no shortage of funds to stop the diseases. The MCDs lied to people of Delhi. They tried to blame it the Delhi government and cried over lack of funds,” Pandey said.