Calcutta HC seeks CAG explanation for delay in report on alleged Rs 1,000 crore flood-relief irregularities

Kolkata;  The Calcutta High Court has sought an explanation from the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) over the delay in filing its final probe report on alleged irregularities amounting to nearly Rs 1,000 crore in flood-relief allocations in West Bengal’s Malda district.

The division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen sought the explanation from the office of the CAG on Thursday, and the order was uploaded on Friday morning.

The division bench sought explanations on why, despite carrying out a probe in the matter, it was reluctant to make the probe report public. The division bench directed the office of the CAG to submit its explanations in the matter by the next date of hearing, which has been fixed on December 15.

The case pertains to the alleged misappropriation of relief funds sanctioned after severe flooding in Malda in 2017. It was alleged that although funds were allotted, the local panchayat members syphoned it instead of allotting it to the genuine flood-affected people.

A public interest litigation in the matter was filed at the Calcutta High Court, and the court directed the office of the CAG to conduct a probe into the merits of the allegations.

In the initial report, the office of the CAG indicated possible irregularities and also identified some panchayat members as probable offenders in the matter.

However, the office of the CAG did not file any other subsequent report, although the petitioners alleged that the CAG had obtained information about the details of irregularities in the matter, as well as the names of those involved in those irregularities.

Now, the Calcutta High Court had raised questions on why the office of the CAG was reluctant to submit the second report.

–IANS