The watchdog does more harm to the govt than opposition

Has the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) taken the baton from opposition? That’s because the watchdog of India’s exchequer via its incisive audit reports has done more harm to the UPA government than the opposition or scores of civil society protests. Take for instance, the CAG’s three reports tabled in Parliament on Friday that have come down heavily on government’s “flawed policy” on coal blocks allocation, Delhi international airport and mega-power projects.

In recent years, the audit office has become more proactively involved in keeping a tab on every penny spent by our administrators in the name of public cause. The change has been swift from a mere audit report generator to an overseer of public money. Not surprisingly, CAG reports on mega scams beginning from the Commonwealth Games 2010 scam to the latest coalgate have provided the basis for a nuanced attack against graft which is more systemic than random.

A lot of credit to rejuvenate the institution must go to its chief Vinod Rai who took office in January 2008. Since Rai took over the reins of the office from VN Kaul, the auditors have been working day and night on reports issued by all government departments. Even a cursory glance at the CAG website shows that the department has picked up pace during Rai’s tenure.

The number of union audit reports issued by the CAG during NDA government in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 were 23, 19, 18, 20 and 23 respectively. However, the number of reports marginally increased in UPA’s first innings. While in 2005 and 2006 the department issued 29 union audit reports each, in 2007 the number of reports came down to 26. In 2008-09, the number further fell to 12.

The union audit reports reached its peak after Rai took the charge. The CAG reported a total of 23 union audit reports during 2009-10 which increased in 2010-11 to 36 and 33 in 2011-12. In 2012-13, so far, five union audit reports have been issued by the CAG.

Under Rai, the CAG has issued a series of explosive investigative reports on commonwealth games scam, multi-billion dollar 2G spectrum scam, Adarsh Housing, coal-gate, etc. Rai was featured as one of the Persons of the year in 2011 by Forbes magazine.  

As Rai still has two more years at the CAG office, the incumbent government will not be in comfort zone till 2014.

Exhibit 1- Union Audit Reports released by CAG