Kerala Assembly passes resolution against CAG report

The Kerala Assembly onFriday passed a resolution against the Comptroller and AuditorGeneral (CAG) report despite strong opposition from theCongress-led UDF over removing parts of the report tabled inthe House containing adverse references on the KIIFB.

The UDF and the lone BJP MLA opposed the resolutionsaying it was against constitutional values.

Moving the resolution, Chief Minister PinarayiVijayan said certain changes in the final report was made bythe CAG without hearing the departments concerned and it mayaffect the ''checks and balances'' between the executive and thelegislature.

The resolution was passed with a voice vote andSpeakerP Sreeramakrishnan said the CAG report will be sent for theconsideration of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) afterremoving concerned pages containing the remarks on KeralaInfrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB).

However, the final ruling in this regard is pendingas Congress legislator V D Satheeshan, who is also thechairman of the PAC, opposed the move saying the House cannotchange the report which was signed by the Governor.

''How can a state legislature remove certain partsfrom a report signed by the Governor? If it becomes aprecedent, other states will also follow suit.This currentlycreates a constitutional crisis,'' Satheeshan said.

The resolution sought to ''reject the remarks''regarding KIIFB from Page 41 to 43 of the state financialaudit report of the CAG.

''The report was prepared without consulting thegovernment. The CAG findings which claimed that the KIIFB hastaken off-budget loans and that the burden on the governmentwas not contingent liability are baseless,'' Vijayan said.

The resolution also marked the CAG report as aclear violation of ''professional approach and politicalneutrality''.

The state finance audit report of CAG for thefinancial year 2018 2019 was tabled in the assembly on January19.

Vijayan said CAG, a constitutional body, as part ofits duty was supposed to prepare a draft report after seekingthe suggestions of the departments concerned.

He added that as usual practice, the final report issubmitted after considering these suggestions.

''Here, there are certain references in the finalreport which was not there in the draft report.In short,natural justice has been denied to the concerneddepartment.It's essential as part of natural justice to hearthe other side.If it's violated, then it shakes the foundationof the CAG report itself,'' Vijayan said.

Opposing the resolution, Leader of the Opposition inthe state Assembly, Ramesh Chennithala said the move will seta bad precedent.

Satheeshan said the resolution was unprecedented.

''The CAG had earlier submitted a report inParliament criticising the Modi government. But there was noresolution against it.This is an attempt to destroy aconstitutionalbody and encroachment over its authority,''Satheeshan said.

The lone BJP member in the Assembly, O Rajagopalalso opposed the resolution and said it was againstconstitutional values and was treating a constitutional bodyas an enemy.

In the recent report, CAG had said the off-budgetborrowings through KIIFB, which mobilises funds forinfrastructure development from outside the state revenue,were not in accordance with Article 293(1) of the Constitutionand ''bypasses the limits set on Government borrowings''.

''These borrowings are not taken into the disclosurestatements in the budget documents or in the accounts andhence such borrowings do not have legislative approval,'' itstated. PTI RRT BNWELCOME BNWELCOME

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)