Vinod Rai’s searing honesty in his job as the country’s CAG has the government in many a bind CAG Catch 1     2G Spectrum, 2010     The CAG audit over a six-year period from 2003 finds loopholes in the implementation of norms, leading to DoT allocating spectrum at 2001 prices. Estimated loss to exchequer: the now-household figure of Rs 1.76 lakh crore.     Outcome Former telecom minister A. Raja, MP Kanimozhi, telecom and...

-Express News Service   After initial refusal to sanction funds under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to the six districts under CBI scanner, the Centre on Monday released Rs 170 crore for the wage employment programme. “The Government received the Central assistance and this has been distributed among six districts,” said Panchayati Raj Secretary PK Jena.  Though the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) released the first installment of `...

-The Times of India   In a brazen bid to hoodwink the National Human Rights Commission, the Bihar Police headquarters has sat on a DIG's inquiry report on alleged violation of human rights by a district SP and instead forwarded to it an IG's opinion on the report, trashing the DIG's findings that policemen tortured prisoners inside Bettiah jail on the night of May 29-30, 2009. Ironically, the DIG's report was...

-The Hindu   Concerned at the Supreme Court's stringent stand on large-scale misappropriation of MGNREGS funds, the Centre on Wednesday warned that officials and districts would be held responsible if the money did not reach beneficiaries of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. At an emergency meeting here of all project directors of the District Rural Development Agency and the chief executive officers of zilla parishads, Rural Development Minister Vilasrao...

-PTI ‘She could approach trial court for bail once charges are framed' The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed DMK Member of Parliament Kanimozhi's bail plea in the 2G spectrum allocation case and questioned the Central Bureau of Investigation for its failure to interrogate the accused for recovering certain documents. However, the court offered her some hope, saying she could approach the trial court for bail once charges are framed. It said she shall...