The Comptroller and Auditor General of India report on the State’s finances highlighting non-submission of Utilisation Certificates (UC) amounting to ₹65,921.35 crore in the fiscal year 2017-18 rocked the Assembly on the last day of the winter session on Saturday with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), part of the ruling coalition, clarifying that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) would be scrutinising whether this involves irregularities.
‘Not corruption’
Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis, who also held the Urban Development Department (UDD) portfolio in the previous government said in Assembly that the CAG report has been mentioning such pendencies for years. “Some members already called it a scam. Even in 2011, 2012, 2013 the then government had tabled CAG reports with pendencies in thousands of crore. This does not mean corruption,” said Mr. Fadnavis. As per the CAG 46% pendencies are from the UDD.
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Finance Minister Jayant Patil said that he was not accusing anyone of corruption but “officers need to be asked the reason behind the pendency of UCs of such huge amount.” NCP MLA Nawab Malik objected to Mr. Patil’s statement asking him to not give a clean chit to anyone as the CAG report will now be scrutinised by the PAC.
“This is the prerogative of the PAC. This committee will decide whether irregularities have taken place or not. I request the minister to not pass any judgement as of now,” said Mr. Malik.
NCP MLA Dilip Walse-Patil too slammed the BJP saying though no one is calling anyone guilty as of now, numbers from the report without substantiative evidence were used to blame corruption on other leaders in the past, especially in the irrigation sector. Without taking names, he reminded the BJP about the party’s allegations against former deputy CM Ajit Pawar in the irrigation scam.
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“Yes, PAC will probe and truth will come out. This is a lesson to all to not make wild allegations,” Mr. Patil said.