A presentation of the recent CAG report on the ‘Bharatmala Pariyojana’ was made at a meeting of the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee headed by Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Tuesday, sources said. The audit report on the implementation of Phase-I of the ‘Bharatmala Pariyojana’ highway projects triggered a political row with opposition parties alleging corruption in the process of awarding the project.
The Road Transport and Highways Ministry, however, has said the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) findings that the cost was exorbitant are misplaced as it did not factor in the actual cost.
The sources said at the PAC’s meeting on Tuesday, there was a presentation on the CAG report, which was tabled in Parliament on August 10.
The PAC is a committee of selected MPs that audits the revenue and expenditure of the government, and its primary function is to examine a report of the CAG after it is tabled in Parliament.
During the meeting, they said, opposition members raised concerns after the ‘Bharatmala Pariyojana’ report’s presentation.
However, the report will not be taken up for examination immediately.
According to procedure, after tabling of the report, the Road Transport and Highways Ministry was given 30 days to furnish a draft Action Taken Note to the CAG, after which the auditor will get another 30 days to vet the replies and seek further clarifications from the ministry. The report will be examined by the PAC once the process is over.
The PAC also selected additional subjects, including welfare schemes announced by the government, for examination of status and money spent, the sources said.
The panel will also examine the banking and insurance sector, which will include loans given and Non Performing Assets. Another subject which will be examined by the committee is the reforms in the energy sector, they said.