Letter to BS: CAG must act within the Act and not exceed the powers

This refers to the article by AK Bhattacharya titled “Only Connect” (October 29) in which he has pointed out that the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) Rajiv Mehrishi has on October 24 questioned why the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) failed to rein in the non-performing loan problems of the banks. He said, “Nobody is asking the real question that what actually the regulator is doing — and whether it is accountable or not.” I must point out that the CAG has no jurisdiction over the RBI. Mehrishi may have been giving a lecture but wherever he talks, it is an official talk. He cannot talk as an ordinary citizen. We, the people, have jurisdiction on the RBI or the society or government or anything. We are free in a democracy to criticise anybody. But the CAG is bound by the CAG's (Duties, Powers and Conditions of Service) Act, 1971. The CAG must always act within the Act and not exceed the powers. Mehrishi cannot now say that it is his personal opinion. He is not an ordinary citizen anymore.

Sukumar Mukhopadhyay New Delhi

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