CAG to submit reports on a slew of issues including AgustaWestland

Government auditor CAG is likely to submit about half a dozen reports on a slew of issues,including Agusta Westland helicopter deal, Airport Metro Express Line project and farm loan waiver of PSU banks, in the ongoing Budget session of Parliament.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), according to sources, is also readying the performance report on Centre's key flagship programme Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme and National Disaster Management Authority.

These reports are likely to be submitted in the first half of the Budget session, which began with the President's address to the joint sitting of Parliament on February 21. As per the schedule, the first half will end on March 22. CAG Vinod Rai had already indicated earlier that the official auditor was looking into Agusta Westland helicopter deal of over Rs 3,600 crore.

The VVIP chopper deal has become a major controversy with Italian authorities probing the possibility of Rs 362 crore kickback being paid for the contract. Indian government has already initiated a CBI inquiry into the deal.

The other controversial issue relates to operation of the Airport Metro Express Line, which is a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project between DMRC, Reliance Infrastructure and a Canadian firm.

Operations on the Airport Metro Line were suspended for a period between July 8, 2012 and January 21, 2013, as flaws were detected in the civil structure of the line.

With regard to the over Rs 50,000 crore farm debt-waiver scheme, the CAG is understood to have pointed out irregularities in implementation of the popular scheme. The Reserve Bank has already directed banks to recover funds paid to non-beneficiaries.

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