Letters: CAG's global presence

Apropos Anol Nath Chatterji’s article “CAG follows global best practices” (November 12), it is clear that the independence of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) is an important cornerstone of India’s democracy guaranteed by the Constitution. The founding fathers of the Republic of India foresaw that any legislative interference – even in seemingly unimportant matters like salaries and expenses of CAG and his staff – would undermine its functioning.

It is heartening to know that CAG has played an active role in the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions, and has been awarded for its contributions to the development of the profession of public auditing. CAG’s appointment as the external auditor of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Health Organisation and the World Intellectual Property Organisation, among others, despite competition from Sweden, Germany, France and the UK, is a clear recognition of Indian CAG’s technical capabilities.

 

The role of CAG in unearthing the 2G telecom scam is a service not only to Parliament and the judiciary, but to the people of India. In the absence of a strong CAG, there would have been a greater degree of impropriety in the use of public funds than has been seen in the recent past. In this light, it is important that attempts to have a multi-member CAG are opposed. It is ironic that a former CAG has made such a suggestion. A multi-member body would result in significant dilution of CAG’s authority, as in the case of a multi-member Chief Election Commission. A watered-down version of CAG is against the spirit of the Constitution.

Srijit Basu Kolkata

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