Kerala CM Satheesan seeks nationwide drive to clear PAC backlog
The Chief Minister warned that delays of up to 20 years in Public Accounts Committee investigations hinder financial accountability.
Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan has called for a special nationwide effort to resolve the large number of pending cases before Public Accounts Committees (PACs). Speaking at a conference for PAC chairpersons on November 4, according to The News Mill, Satheesan noted that some files have been outstanding for 20 years.
Satheesan said that accountability loses its meaning if investigations take too long, as officials involved in financial irregularities might retire or die before inquiries conclude. He requested a dedicated drive to clear these files to ensure audit observations result in meaningful oversight.
The Chief Minister also raised concerns regarding the methodology used by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to calculate financial impacts. He stated that shifting audit approaches can defeat the purpose of auditing and cited the 2010 2G spectrum allocation report, noting the estimated loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore was a hypothetical projection rather than a realised loss.
Satheesan further mentioned that the CAG's approach to the Vizhinjam International Deep Water Multipurpose Seaport Project faced issues regarding how it evaluated public-private partnership frameworks. He noted a Judicial Commission had objected to the CAG categorising the project as a public sector undertaking.
Regarding the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), Satheesan said the Kerala Legislative Assembly used an unusual procedure in January 2021 to exclude certain CAG audit findings from PAC scrutiny. He asserted that no legislature is competent to dismiss a CAG report based on a floor majority.