CAG terms media reports on transfer of officials ‘baseless’

Citing news reports about the transfer of CAG officials, the Congress had accused the Centre of intimidating those who had “exposed corruption” in Ayushman Bharat, Dwarka Expressway project

The CAG denied any malfeasance in the transfer of auditors connected with reports that unearthed alleged irregularities in the Centre’s flagship Bharatmala and Ayushman Bharat schemes. | Photo Credit: Shanker Chakravarty

The Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India on Friday dismissed media reports on the transfer of its officials, saying that they were baseless and incorrect.

Taking note of the news reports about the transfer of CAG officials who had “exposed corruption” in the Ayushman Bharat scheme and the Dwarka Expressway project, the Congress had on Wednesday accused the Union government of intimidating the officials, and had demanded their reinstatement.

In a statement, the CAG’s office said: “To set the record straight, matters of transfer and postings are a matter of administrative convenience and to read ulterior motives into these is highly presumptuous.”

‘Completely incorrect’

“Audit reports are prepared by an extensive team over a prolonged period, comprising officers entrusted with field work, central processing and finalisation at the highest level,” it explained. “The referred audit reports also went through multiple hands before due approval, and subsequent tabling in the Legislature; and hence cannot be attributed to any one officer. Furthermore, both referred reports have been presented to the President after approval at the highest level, and laid before the Parliament, and are in the public domain. To attribute any malfeasance to these routine transfers driven by administrative requirements, is completely incorrect,” it added.

Stating that the reports were without any basis and cast aspersions on the functioning of the institution and its chief, G.C. Murmu, it said: “The contentions that the CAG is not signing [approving] any fresh reports and verbal orders have been issued to stop all field work, is categorically and unequivocally rejected... The number of audit reports approved by the CAG, Mr. Murmu, has been on a sharp ascent over the past three years, attaining an all time high of 173 audit reports in 2022-23 (Union and States).”

Of these, 29 Union audit reports and 78 State audit reports were tabled in Parliament and State Legislatures in 2022-23; and the total number of reports tabled -- including those approved prior to 2022-23 -- was 183. In the current financial year to date, 43 audit reports have been approved by the CAG, it said.