CAG absolves Parrikar of most charges

CAG absolves Parrikar of most charges
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, FEB 8
 In what could be termed as a major reprieve to the opposition leader Manohar Parrikar, the Comptroller and Auditor General has dropped ‘its faulty 14 charges” against the former chief minister, who is facing CBI inquiry into the financial irregularities in infrastructure development during IFFI 2004.
While CAG dropped 14 charges against Parrikar the Public Accounts committee has recommended that the remaining nine charges also be dropped due to satisfactory replies from Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC).
The PAC has also recommended the CAG office to conduct an enquiry as to how this incorrect finding was given and take remedial action against the concerned officers who have given these erroneous findings in the audit report 2005-05.
The public accounts committee (PAC) had constituted a sub-committee under Mapusa legislator Francis D’Souza, Nilkanth Halarnkar and Damodar Naik.
While Parrikar refused to be part of the committee in view of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry against him, Halarnkar seized to be member of the sub-committee after being inducted into the cabinet in June, 2010.
The committee convened 22 meetings with the CAG and GSIDC officials.
The PAC report, which was submitted in the just concluded assembly, states that the CAG had decided to drop 14 out of 23 paras.
“Out of the 23 audit paras CAG decided to drop 14 paras on the grounds that the explanations given on these were satisfactory and accepted by the committee while the remaining nine paras were discussed in detail,” the report said.
The charges or paras dropped are – payment of bonus; Defective clause in the agreement; undue favour to the contractor; restoration and upgradation of facilities at Kala Academy abnormal variation; award of work at rates higher than market rates; deficient contract management non levy of liquidated damages; non-recovery of mobilization advance; award of work without land acquisition; idle charges; incorrect estimation of quantity for dredging work; variations; consultants for Kala Academy Works; appointment pf consultants for road package works.
The other nine charges which the committee has sought details from the Finance Department and recommended dropping are – defective or non-transparent bidding process and evaluation; award of contract at higher cost; avoidable expenditure on INOX appointed consultant; improvement and beautification of roads and allied works; irregular award of contract; appointment of consultant; appointment of lead consultant; wasteful expenditure on abandoned projects.
The CAG finding in 2004-05 was the main base for registering an FIR (first information) in the IFFI misappropriation case and with majority of the charges being dropped this may come in as huge relief to Parrikar, who has claimed innocence in the case.