Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) Vinod Rai has once again criticized the Union Government, alleging that it was taking decisions with “brazenness.”

Speaking at the World Economic Forum meet, Rai said, “The brazenness (with which) decisions were being taken is actually appalling...”

Rai added that more transparency in decision-making would make the government more accountable. He also suggested that institutions like the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the proposed Lokpal should be made constitutional entities, which would protect them from government’s interference.

The Congress-Led UPS government shot back at the CAG immediately. Information & broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said the Rai should be aware of the fact that he himself was a part of the same government from 2004 to
2008, on which he labeled allegations of taking decisions with brazenness.

The ruling Congress previously too questioned the national auditors’ reports, in which he alleged that the government’s decisions on 2G spectrum allocations and coal blocks allocations robbed the exchequer of crores of rupees.

According to the CAG report, the 2G spectrum allocations to private companies were made by the government at a loss of around Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the taxpayers, while the coal blocks allocations robbed the taxpayers of Rs
1.86 lakh crore. However, Rai admitted that figures of losses were debatable.