Hyderabad: Reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on various issues are turning to be a big headache for the TS government, especially with the Opposition making them weapons against the CM and his rule.
The Opposition parties, particularly the Congress, are, on the basis of the re-ports, criticising the state government and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. On the financial front, CAG made serious co-mments and pushed the TS government to the wall.
Chief Secretary S.K. Joshi held a meeting with all secretaries and discussed the matter. He directed them to prepare a report on the CAG findings in their departments and send them to the finance department. On the basis of this, the finance department would prepare a detailed report.
In fact, the Opposition’s criticism focussed mainly on financial issues quoting CAG reports. While the TS government claim-ed surplus Budget, the CAG said it was actually deficit. The difference came in calculating the amount received by the state government through UDAY bonds. In the memorandum of understanding with the Centre, it was mentioned that the amo-unt received through the bonds would be considered revenue. But in the Budget, the State government showed it as capital and was passed by the Assembly.
CAG said the '7,500 crore received through the bonds should be calculated as revenue as mentioned in the MoU. But the finance department’s argument was that since the Assembly passed it as capital, it was treated on that count and that the legislation was more supreme than the MoU.
Separately, all the de-partments started exerci-se on preparing the report on CAG comments. Officials said according to rules, in six weeks after tabling the CAG reports in the Assembly, the government had to give report on the comments to the Pub-lic Accounts Committee (PAC) and the CAG. The PAC would discuss the CAG comments and the report before taking a decision.
Accordingly the State Government would follow the PAC directions.
