Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 150
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 151
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Coalgate: FM downplays CAG findings

Coalgate: FM downplays CAG findings

Share this article Share this article
published Published on Mar 25, 2012   modified Modified on Mar 25, 2012

-The Times of India

Faced with a looming embarrassment over the disclosure of irregularities in the allocation of coal blocks, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday sought to play down the findings of the auditor, asserting that his final report would spare the government.

Speaking against the backdrop of Opposition's criticism and its demand for a CBI probe into what is being called " Coalgate", Mukherjee said that that the report scooped by TOI was preliminary and expressed confidence that the final version would not be harsh on the government. " 90% of the observations are dropped after auditor gets a response from the ministry. That is the normal practice and it is going on for the last 150 years," he added.

TOI on Thursday had published the details of the CAG report which said that government's failure to auction coal blocks may have resulted in windfall gains to the tune of Rs 10.7 lakh crore to power companies, some of them PSUs.

Contrary to Mukherjee's assertion, however, the report in question now available on http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ is not preliminary. It has been in works for last six months and takes into account the explanations of the Coal ministry. The draft was prepared after an "exit" meeting where Coal ministry officials got to put across their viewpoint in detail. Although another exit meeting was held after the draft was prepared, the findings in the draft report are of a stage after which a drastic overhaul of the report ceases to be a strong possibility.

The auditor in its report details the process of the audit, which included close examination of the records of the Coal ministry, the Coal Controller's Office and Coal India and its subsidiaries between September and November 2011. It then observes that "the entry conference with CIL and its subsidiaries was held on 16 September 2011 and with MoC on 13 October 2011 and the exit conference was held on 9 February 2012."

The CAG report even has an "acknowledgement" which records the active cooperation and assistance provided by the Coal ministry, CIL and CCO, "which facilitated the completion of this performance audit".

The FM's comments came two days after the PMO issued a similar statement, partially quoting from the CAG's letter that the latter's draft report was not final and was "misleading".

Mukherjee said the CAG is a constitutional body created since the time of British rule and its job is to find faults with the government.

"I have repeatedly stated its (CAG's) job is to find out fault and not to praise the government and certify that government has done a good job. Why ..unneccessary... sensationalisation takes place," Mukherjee said.

The FM did not find anything new in the CAG's findings. "What is new if the irregularities are found out in the CAG report?" he asked. These concerns are always addressed by Parliament, Mukherjee said, referring to the draft report published by TOI.

Downplaying the significance of the report that created uproar in Parliament on Thursday leading to adjournments of both the Houses, the FM said: "The fact of the matter is that it is not a report by itself. CAG is yet to finalise its report."

The report, he said, will first go to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which will send its views to Parliament. He said, CAG "himself explained in its letter to the Prime Minister that no further clarifications are required and needed".

The Times of India, 25 March, 2012, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Coalgate-FM-downplays-CAG-findings/articleshow/12398284.cms


Related Articles

 

Write Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Video Archives

Archives

share on Facebook
Twitter
RSS
Feedback
Read Later

Contact Form

Please enter security code
      Close