CAG reports to be delayed owing to fire: Himachal official

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) reports, which were to be tabled during the Himachal Pradesh assembly session next month, will be delayed due to a fire in the state accountant general's office, an official said Tuesday.

"Five CAG reports, which were in final process of compilation, will be delayed," Principal Accountant General Satish Loomba told reporters here.

A major fire broke out early Tuesday in the two-storey, British era half-timbered building that housed the state audit and accountant general's office, badly damaging it, officials said. There was no loss of life.

The budget session of the assembly is starting Feb 3.

Loomba said more pension records were damaged compared to audit records.

Official sources said the entire manually managed pension payment order registers were damaged in the fire.

"The employees who retired before 2006 were listed in these registers and their number could be in lakhs. After 2006, the entire record has been computerised," said a senior official.