The Public Accounts Committee of Parliament on Wednesday witnessed intense deliberations with some BJP MPs demanding that Controller and Auditor General's report on AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal be taken up for scrutiny.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Goel raised the issue at the committee meet in the morning and he was backed by BJD MP B Mahetab. This was the first meeting of the statutory watchdog which keeps a tab on government spendings and is headed by a opposition Lok Sabha MP. The current chairman is KV Thomas.
TMC's Sukhendu Shekar Roy also wanted to know from the chairman whether the CAG's auditing of accounts related to some defence purchases tantamounts to conflict of interest. The allusion was obviously towards the incumbent CAG and former defence secretary Shashi Kant Sharma.
Roy made the statement in the presence of Sharma who attended the meeting, as CAG is the statutory adjunct of the PAC. He was however reminded by the chairman that the matter was settled by the apex court.
The CAG report on VVIP chopper deal was put before the then PAC headed by Dr MM Joshi in 2013 when UPA was in power. It was however not taken up for any further deliberations. One of the reasons cited was the sub-judice nature of the case which was being investigated by the CBI.
A PAC member in the meeting underscored the point that matters pending in the courts, like the coal scam, have come under their scanner. The chairman is however yet to take a call on the issue.
Congress' Shantaram Naik on the other hand demanded the CAG should audit NDA's flagship Make in India campaign and projects under the PPP model. With a depleted strength in Lok Sabha, Congress with its allies is in a minority in the 15-member committee which has members from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
And there are indications that BJP with its allies may seek a division in the committee to demand that CAG report on VVIP chopper deal be taken up by the current PAC.
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