Delhi HC Dismisses BJP Legislators' Petition Regarding CAG Reports Sent by CM Atishi to L-G
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New Delhi, Dec 16 (NationPress) The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed a petition submitted by BJP legislators requesting the Delhi government to forward the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports to the Lt Governor (L-G). A bench led by Justice Sanjeev Narula acknowledged that L-G Vinai Kumar Saxena had approved the 14 CAG reports sent by Chief Minister Atishi.
According to the order from the Delhi HC, CM Atishi, who also oversees the Finance Ministry, is expected to send the approved reports to the Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly within 2-3 days. The Speaker will then decide on convening a special session to present the CAG reports.
During a previous hearing last week, the Delhi government informed the Justice Narula-led Bench that CM Atishi had already forwarded the CAG reports to the L-G's office.
After the counsel for the L-G acknowledged that some reports were received late on Wednesday, the Delhi HC scheduled another hearing for December 16.
The Finance Department clarified in its affidavit that the reports in question were not with them but were with Chief Minister Atishi, who also manages the Finance Ministry.
On October 29, the Delhi High Court agreed to investigate the issue, issuing notices to the Delhi government, the office of the Legislative Assembly Speaker, the L-G, CAG, and the Accountant General (Audit) of Delhi.
The petition asserted that CAG reports concerning pollution and regulations surrounding alcohol were not presented to the L-G by the Finance Ministry and remained pending with CM Atishi.
"Despite the L-G's repeated requests and constitutional duty, these reports were not submitted to the L-G, hence they could not be tabled in the Delhi Legislative Assembly," stated the petition filed by BJP MLAs Vijender Gupta, Mohan Singh Bisht, Om Prakash Sharma, Ajay Kumar Mahawar, Abhay Verma, Anil Bajpai, and Jitender Mahajan.
It was noted that the Opposition leaders made efforts to table the CAG reports during the Vidhan Sabha session held on September 26-27 after a considerable interval, but no actions were taken to table the reports.
The petition pointed out that this intentional withholding of critical information not only undermines democratic values but also obstructs proper evaluation of governmental actions and finances, raising significant concerns regarding the government's financial integrity, transparency, and accountability.
Furthermore, it stated that the delay was not merely a procedural error but a considerable breach of constitutional responsibilities, especially since the CAG had been forwarding the audit reports for presentation before the Delhi Assembly.
The CAG is recognized as a "constitutional watchdog" established to provide independent and trustworthy assurance to the public, the legislature, and the executive that public funds are effectively and efficiently collected and utilized.
