Delhi High Court to Consider Petition on Monday Regarding CAG Reports Suppression by CM Atishi
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New Delhi, Dec 15 (NationPress) The Delhi High Court is poised to address a petition on Monday from BJP lawmakers, requesting that the Delhi government send 12 Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports to the Lt Governor (L-G).
According to the causelist made available on the Delhi HC website, a panel that includes Justice Sanjeev Narula will reconvene to deliberate on the issue on December 16.
During a prior hearing last week, the Delhi government informed the panel led by Justice Narula that Chief Minister Atishi had already sent the CAG reports to the office of the L-G.
After the lawyer representing the L-G indicated that Raj Bhavan received some of the reports on Wednesday, the Delhi HC opted to reschedule the hearing for December 16.
In its declaration, the Finance Department asserted that the reports in question were not pending with it but were in the possession of Chief Minister Atishi, who also serves as the Finance Minister.
Previously, on October 29, the Delhi High Court consented to investigate the situation and issued notices to the Delhi government, the office of the Legislative Assembly Speaker, the L-G, the CAG, and the Accountant General (Audit), Delhi.
The petition alleged that CAG reports concerning pollution and regulations regarding alcohol were not presented to the L-G by the Finance Ministry and remained with Chief Minister Atishi, who also oversees the Finance portfolio.
"Despite the Lt. Governor's ongoing requests and constitutional duties, these reports were not dispatched to the L-G, thereby preventing their presentation 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 further mentioned that opposition leaders made every effort to present the CAG reports during the Vidhan Sabha session held on September 26-27 after a lengthy hiatus, but "no action was taken to table the reports".
The petition asserted that this intentional suppression of crucial information not only breaches democratic principles but also obstructs thorough examination of government actions and expenditures, raising significant concerns regarding the government's financial integrity, transparency, and accountability.
It emphasized that the delay was not merely a procedural mistake but a serious infringement of constitutional responsibilities, given that the CAG had been sending the audit reports for presentation before the Delhi Assembly.
The petition concluded by stating that the CAG serves as a "constitutional watchdog" established to offer independent and credible assurance to the public, the legislature, and the executive that public funds are being gathered and utilized effectively and efficiently.
