CONGRESS LEGACY HANGOVER FOR BJP
BY OUR STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI, Oct 12: Every year, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India gives its report mentioning details about fincial irregularities committed by various departments of the State government, as well as other fincial aspects relating to the departments concerned. The CAG reports, based on elaborate facts and figures, usually reveal how different departments lose revenue to the tune of crores of rupees and where loopholes exist. The CAG reports are also placed in the Assembly for debate and discussion on fincial issues of importance.
Now the question arises — were all these CAG reports at all taken seriously by the previous Congress government in the State during the 15 years of its rule? Didn’t the iction by the previous government against various departments and their officials concerned, despite adverse CAG findings, consign these reports to just meaningless printed words deserving no accountability measures?
In 2015, the CAG report revealed Rs 50 crore loss made by State-owned Assam Mineral Development Corporation Limited due to the utter negligence of a section of its officials, exposing loopholes galore in the overall fincial magement of the Corporation during that particular period. The same CAG report revealed mis-utilization of funds to the tune of crores of rupees by Assam State Tourism Corporation in the me of development of tourism in the State.
In earlier CAG reports, scams like swindling of crores of rupees by the Social Welfare Department during Tarun Gogoi’s regime, in the me of purchasing pencils, erasers and books for schools came to light. There were many examples of such sleaze mentioned in different CAG reports.
What is surprising is that people of the State still continue to be in the dark whether any officials were actually brought to book by the previous government in 15 years, based on the CAG findings. The previous government didn’t also reply to questions raised in different CAG reports from time to time, about the functioning of various departments and their fincial irregularities.
This iction of the previous government against officials concerned simply go to show how protective it was towards ‘tainted’ officials, despite their involvement in corrupt practices, as exposed in different CAG reports.
In the last 15 years of his rule, the then chief minister Tarun Gogoi talked big about fighting corruption at all levels in different forums. But why didn’t his government taken CAG findings seriously and initiate action against corrupt officials? Weren’t the CAG findings worth considering by his government?
Now, the present BJP-led government, which took over with the alliance’s promise of transparent governce, should conduct enquiries against officials found involved in corruption, based on the last ten years of CAG reports. Otherwise, such corrupt practices will continue to flourish under the present regime as well.