-The Economic Times The CAG's report on Delhi International Airport (DIAL) is naive and uninformed. It asks why land was made available to a private developer at reduced rates to build and run an airport for 60 years, and insinuates that the developer, Hyderabad-based GMR group, got a sweetheart deal from the government. It seems to find it abhorrent that 5% of the land allotted could be used commercially and claims...
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The coal allocation mess
-Live Mint The report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on the allotment of captive coal mines is a scathing narrative on the mis-governance and mismanagement of the country’s natural resources. As early as 2004, the government realized that the then prevailing system of allotment of mines was not transparent. An internal debate kicked off with the coal secretary pushing for a 28 June 2004 deadline for reforms in the...
More »Go beyond CAG: Shout less about notional losses, do more on genuine coal sector reform
-The Times of India Expectedly, CAG's reports on coal, power and Delhi airport have raised a storm. Yes, one takeaway is the need for transparency in resource disbursal and use, be it minerals or land. But if CAG - whose job is to keep accounts - habitually hypothesises about presumptive revenue loss owing ostensibly to absence of this or that policy in the past, where will it end? Its coal audit...
More »NREGS: Ramesh pulls up state-KN Reddy
-The Asian Age Stating that many serious irregularities have come to light in the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) in some districts of Karnataka , Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh on Sunday took the Karnataka government to task for failing to take action. Speaking to media persons after visiting family toilets built under the Parishud Grama Yojana by Infosys Foundation at Gamvar village in Jewargi...
More »Reliance Power got undue benefits in bidding for ultra mega power projects: CAG
-The Economic Times The CAG has questioned the eligibility of the Anil Ambani-led Reliance Power to have bid for any of the three ultra mega power projects (UMPPs) and said the company would enjoy undue benefits of Rs 29,033 crore over 20 years by using surplus coal at another plant. The CAG said that to be eligible to bid for a UMPP, a company should have implemented projects worth Rs 3,000 crore...
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