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"The brazenness (with which) decisions were being taken is actually appalling...", he said speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) meet here.
The Comptroller and Auditor General, however, noted that with the Right to Information (RTI) act administrative and political executive have become conscious that they "will have to be answerable".
"....each one of us will be held accountable, we are conscious of that," he said adding that today everything is in the public domain.
Reacting to his remarks, Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari hit back at the CAG saying if he talked about brazennes in decision-making, then questions could be raised about the time when he was in the government.
"If he talks about brazenness in decision-making and if it refers to the time-period of this particular government, I think it would be worth his while to recall that he was part of the same government from 2004 to 2008.
"And I guess, when he talks about brazenness, that paradigm equally applies across the board to everyone who was part of the government," Tewari said.
The CAG also sought constitutional status for agencies like Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) to make them effective instruments for fighting corruption.
"... if you really want some of these institutions (like CBI and CVC) to deliver, you must take a risk and ... take courage to make them Constitutional," he said.
Rai said the CBI and CVC were not independent and that was why people write about them as "handmaid of government".
"If Lokpal is expected to function with autonomy and total independence you will have to guarantee a constitutional mandate", he said.
As regards CBI, he said, "(it) is not independent of executive (and) that's why very often everybody writes … that CBI has become handmaid of government in power.
"Look at CVC...(it) is an another body much feared, much maligned... but still a statutory body. It is not a constitutional body," he added.
Noting that corruption can't be eliminated by enacting Lokpal law, Rai said, "...if we can conscious of that, we can reduce the cronyism or nepotism and to that extent that we can tackle this hydra monster called corruption."
Replying questions on the the way CAG's assessments were being questioned by the government and other concerned agencies, Rai said "nobody faulted us on facts...This (loss figure) is debatable... if it is not Rs 1.76 (lakh crore), it may Rs 1.6 (lakh crore) or may be Rs 2.6 (lakh crore)".
The auditors, he added, give enough chance to stakeholders to give their version of the facts during the entry and exit conferences.
"We had 2-3 exit conferences where we say if we are wrong in facts, please point us out. We gave them enough or more opportunities to correct facts. The auditor will have opinion.
In its reports, it will obviously give the opinion. But on facts, we didn't want to go wrong", he added.
The assessment of loss running into lakhs of crores to the exchequer during allocation of 2G spectrum and coal blocks to private companies was questioned by the government and other agencies.
With regard to allocation of 2G spectrum the CAG in its report had pegged the loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the exchequer, while the losses on account of allocation of coal blocks were estimated at Rs 1.86 lakh crore.
PRIMA-FACIE FINDINGS -MAKE PUBLIC AFTER ARRESTING THE DOUBTED UNTRUSTWORTHY RESPONSIBLE. TIME ALLOWED ENABLE THE LOOTERS TO GET PROMOTION AS PER THE ORDER OF THE DAY.POWERS OF PROSECUTION IS A MUST AS VESTED WITH TRIBUNALS.
govt. is outrightly indulged in scams and scandals. entire party has been asked by sonia to do record scandals those who can and remaining members have been issued a verbal whip to save scandalous ministers and MPs. Why vadra has not been enquired so far.
CAG is not only crossing its limits but also giving signals of illiteracy within bureaucracy. Bureaucracy rather than playing politics should understand how politics works. Vinod Rai and VK Singh both have made their own organizations shame in our constitutional as well as democratic legacy. This CAG neither understands what accountability refers to not what transparency refers to. Its just fake numbers and media propaganda. 2G and coal scams are based on pre assumed assumptions which have no concrete logical as well as economic base. Its just that India is unfortunate to have these bureaucrats in her administrative mechanism.
CAG may not be parliament but it is not less than parliament. CAG is a responsible govt. organisation. It is not like irresponsible parliament that comes for 5 years,allow its ministers to do scams and scandals and make black money for postarities.
Look at Raja's 2G allocations who brazenly took his own decision even defying the PM, the Commonwealth Games scam where Kalmadi had a nice time taking brazen decision, coal scam where govt's brazen decision gave away through non-transparent process for free the coal blocks, all of which cause huge loss to the ex-chequer. Hope we all analysed before hand very well before speaking against CAG. I hope all of us knew even SC has suspended the 2G linceses. If Raja had followed rules and not taken taken any BRAZEN decision, it would not have been cancelled. Hope a time will not come when people will raise finger against even SC as it's ruling has gone against the Govt.
Manish Tewari's rebuttal to CAG's comments is, as usual with almost all his comments, is combative, stupid and ill-informed. Vinod Rai was a career officer in the government until his appointment to the constitutional post of CAG. The politician-ministers are the people who ultimately make the decisions and the career officers only implement these decisions. We have seen from the IAS officer in Haryana, Ashok Khemka's plight, what happens if a career officer steps out of line and incurs the wrath of his political bosses. Take the case of T N Seshan , former Chief Election Commissioner who was the first CEC to initiate the model code of conduct and put some fear in the minds of politicians in the conduct of elections. Seshan had retired as Cabinet Secretary, the seniormost career position in the government but he could enforce some order and decency in the conduct of elections only after he became a constitutional authority independent of the executive arm of the government.
Sri Rai is absolutely correct. The correct name for the acronym CBI it appears to many...C-ONTROLLED B-Y I-NCUMBANT (GOVT) APNA BHARAT MAHAAN????????????
What to talk about CBI and CVC, even the courts have demanded financial independence,haven't they? And what should one understand of that?
This man has become a dictator in stead the CAG of India. He is crossing all the barriers which are given in the Constitution of India.Is it his duty to tell the government to do this and not to do that?
Shame on CBI. They are like dogs guarding number 10 Janpath. bureau
The way our CAG has conducted even after facing so much flak from government and ruling dynasty, he has neither compromised nor backed. We hats off to you sir for your amazing tolerance even after a lot of allegations of overreaching the CAG boundries. You have done fantastic job. You will be inspiration for our generation of youth. Hats of to you sir.
the CBI is a pawn in the hands of ruling party...the best solution is to report the investigation to SC/HC judge on the progress of the case, rather than to the political masters
People are also talking about Generals and CAGs becomming Handmaids of RSS and BJP.Create 100s of (Extra)constitutional authorities who are not accountable to anobody and tweek the Democracy and make the people frustrated and give the power to the elite and get back the proxi ruling powers, that is the conspiracy of the Aryan Goons
