Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena has written to Chief Minister Atishi over 14 Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports pending tabling in the Delhi Assembly, and called for a special session for laying these reports in the House.

The reports include Performance Audit on Regulation and Supply of Liquor in Delhi, Performance Audit on Prevention and Mitigation of Vehicular Air Pollution in Delhi, Public Health Infrastructure and Management of Health Services, and Performance Audit Report on Functioning of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC).

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In his letter addressed to the CM, the LG said, “By not laying the CAG Reports promptly before the Legislative Assembly, the government has failed to discharge its Constitutional obligation. It has deprived the members of the Legislative Assembly from discharging its core duty of exercising legislative control over the executive.”

Noting that the CAG reports are vital to assess the financial and administrative health of the Government in a democratic set up, Saxena said these reports are the touchstone of transparency in governance.

“Adherence to the Constitutional mandate of placing such reports on the Table of the Legislature from time to time expeditiously is an essential ingredient of a functional democracy to ensure full disclosure and to seek guidance of the Apex Legislative Body for taking course corrections where necessary,” he said.

Pointing out that these reports were received by the government from CAG on different dates in the past, Saxena said his Secretariat also forwarded the communication received from CAG on these Reports to the Finance Department on various dates for necessary action.

“Despite my communications to the then Chief Minister (Arvind Kejriwal) on 22nd February and the incumbent Chief Minister on 29th November, no action was taken by either of the Chief Ministers. Even a Writ Petition in the matter of Vijender Gupta is pending before the High Court of Delhi seeking directions to the Government to lay the CAG Reports before the Legislative Assembly of Delhi,” he said.

Notably, the LG has given his formal consent for tabling of all these reports under Section 48 of GNCTD Act, 1991.