CAG report being misinterpreted, says Gadkari

Facing attack over a CAG report, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari today broke his silence in Parliament, saying there was no corruption or misappropriation charge against him and the government auditor's report was "deliberately being misinterpreted for political reasons."
Gadkari, whose dismissal is being demanded by opposition after CAG report alleged irregularities in loan extended to his family-linked Purti Group, said in Rajya Sabha that the auditor has nowhere named him as a wrong-doer.
But the Congress members were not satisfied with his statement and continued to shout slogans even as Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi asserted that Gadkari will not resign. The House saw five adjournments till noon over the issue.

Amid slogan-shouting by Congress, Gadkari read out a statement saying the CAG report was "deliberately being misinterpreted for political reasons".
"My respectful submission before this august House is that let us follow the established procedure in the matter of CAG reports and if any wrong-doing is established by the PAC, which will be discussing the CAG report in due course of time, the law should take its own course," he said.
"The CAG has nowhere named me as a wrong-doer nor there is any adverse comment against me. There is neither any indictment nor any charge of corruption or misappropriation against me of the PSKL (Purti Sakhar Karkhana Ltd)," the Road Transport and Highways Minister said.

He said the principal loan amount of Rs 46.63 crore was provided by state-run Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency to Purti Group for a 22-MW bagasse-based power plant in Nagpur and major part of the interest has been repaid.

Noting that he was Chairman of PSKL from 2000 to 2011, he said he was neither an MP nor held any public office in government when the 13-year loan was extended to the firm in 2008-09.
"The Audit report alleges lapses/irregularities in procedures followed by IREDA, which were explained in detail by IREDA and comments of the CAG are not acceptable to IREDA," he said.

"PSKL has not committed any misappropriation nor has it misrepresented any facts before IREDA. The audit report does not allege any such conduct," he claimed.