GURGAON: CAG Vinod Rai, whose reports on irregularities in coal block allocations and 2G telecom spectrum had created a major political storm, today deprecated the "brazenness" with which the decisions were being taken, calling it "appalling".
"The brazenness (with which) decisions were being taken is actually appalling...", he said speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) meet here. The Comptroller and Auditor General, however, noted that with the Right to Information (RTI) act administrative and political executive have become conscious that they "will have to be answerable".
"....each one of us will be held accountable, we are conscious of that," he said adding that today everything is in the public domain. Reacting to his remarks, Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari hit back at the CAG saying if he talked about brazennes in decision-making, then questions could be raised about the time when he was in the government.
"If he talks about brazenness in decision-making and if it refers to the time-period of this particular government, I think it would be worth his while to recall that he was part of the same government from 2004 to 2008. "And I guess, when he talks about brazenness, that paradigm equally applies across the board to everyone who was part of the government," Tewari said.
The CAG also sought constitutional status for agencies like Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) to make them effective instruments for fighting corruption.
"... if you really want some of these institutions (like CBI and CVC) to deliver, you must take a risk and ... take courage to make them Constitutional," he said.
-TOI
CAG slams govt for brazen decisions, Congress hits back
GURGAON: Comptroller and auditor general Vinod Rai,
whose recent reports have kicked up a storm over several UPA moves, on
Wednesday went public with concerns over the "brazenness" with which
decisions were taken, resulting in a fresh war of words with the
government.
"The brazenness (with which) decisions were being taken is actually appalling," Rai said at the World Economic Forum meeting and added that with more transparency, the government will become more accountable.
It was not just his comment on overall decision-making that would have upset the government. Rai suggested that several institutions such as the proposed Lokpal, the Central Vigilance Commission and the Central Bureau of Investigation should be made constitutional entities, shielding them from government interference. Rai said CBI was often written about as not being independent and acting as a "handmaiden of the government".
The ruling Congress, which has in the past blamed CAG of overstepping its brief, shot back immediately. "If he (Rai) talks about brazenness in decision-making and if it refers to the time-period of this particular government, I think it would be worth his while to recall that he was part of the same government from 2004 to 2008," information and broadcasting minister Manish Tewari said.
Rai is a former financial services secretary and was part of the IAS before taking over as the federal auditor. "And I guess, when he talks about brazenness, that paradigm equally applies across the board to everyone who was part of the government," Tewari added.
The combative Rai called upon citizen groups to grab the initiative to tackle corruption. "Why do we leave it to (the) government alone to introduce accountability and probity? Leaving it to government has not succeeded. Citizen groups must empower themselves and ensure that government lives in glass houses but (ensure) that such transparency applies to corporations also," he said.
Over the past two years, CAG and the government have sparred over a series of reports — ranging from 2G spectrum scam, estimated to have left a Rs 1.76 lakh crore dent on the exchequer, and the recent 'Coalgate' that resulted in several mining licences being cancelled. Rai told reporters that the estimates could be questioned but the principles used to arrive at those figures were not under doubt.
Describing Right To Information and the constitutional amendments related to panchayati raj institutions as landmark legislations, Rai said the citizen was now on the centrestage. Even recent schemes such as the employment guarantee programme and the health mission had created delivery channels which were participative and made the population more vigilant, he said.
"The brazenness (with which) decisions were being taken is actually appalling," Rai said at the World Economic Forum meeting and added that with more transparency, the government will become more accountable.
It was not just his comment on overall decision-making that would have upset the government. Rai suggested that several institutions such as the proposed Lokpal, the Central Vigilance Commission and the Central Bureau of Investigation should be made constitutional entities, shielding them from government interference. Rai said CBI was often written about as not being independent and acting as a "handmaiden of the government".
The ruling Congress, which has in the past blamed CAG of overstepping its brief, shot back immediately. "If he (Rai) talks about brazenness in decision-making and if it refers to the time-period of this particular government, I think it would be worth his while to recall that he was part of the same government from 2004 to 2008," information and broadcasting minister Manish Tewari said.
Rai is a former financial services secretary and was part of the IAS before taking over as the federal auditor. "And I guess, when he talks about brazenness, that paradigm equally applies across the board to everyone who was part of the government," Tewari added.
The combative Rai called upon citizen groups to grab the initiative to tackle corruption. "Why do we leave it to (the) government alone to introduce accountability and probity? Leaving it to government has not succeeded. Citizen groups must empower themselves and ensure that government lives in glass houses but (ensure) that such transparency applies to corporations also," he said.
Over the past two years, CAG and the government have sparred over a series of reports — ranging from 2G spectrum scam, estimated to have left a Rs 1.76 lakh crore dent on the exchequer, and the recent 'Coalgate' that resulted in several mining licences being cancelled. Rai told reporters that the estimates could be questioned but the principles used to arrive at those figures were not under doubt.
Describing Right To Information and the constitutional amendments related to panchayati raj institutions as landmark legislations, Rai said the citizen was now on the centrestage. Even recent schemes such as the employment guarantee programme and the health mission had created delivery channels which were participative and made the population more vigilant, he said.
-TOI
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