Today, On 29th October, The Delhi High Court called for a response from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government concerning a request made by BJP MLAs. The legislators are seeking access to reports from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) during assembly discussions. This legal move emphasizes the ongoing scrutiny of governmental financial accountability.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court, On Tuesday, requested a response from the AAP government regarding a petition filed by several BJP MLAs. They are seeking a directive to present 12 CAG reports related to liquor duty, pollution, and finance before the assembly.
Justice Sanjeev Narula issued a notice to the Delhi government, the Legislative Assembly Speaker’s office, the Lieutenant Governor (LG), the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), and the Accountant General (Audit) of Delhi.
The case scheduled for a hearing on December 9.
The petition filed by Vijender Gupta, the Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, along with BJP MLAs Mohan Singh Bisht, Om Prakash Sharma, Ajay Kumar Mahawar, Abhay Verma, Anil Kumar Bajpai, and Jitendra Mahajan.
During the proceedings, the counsel for the lawmakers requested an earlier hearing date due to “compelling reasons.”
In response, the counsel for one of the respondents claimed that the petition was politically motivated.
The plea claimed that CAG reports from 2017-2018 to 2021-2022 have been pending with Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, who also oversees the finance portfolio. It further alleged that despite repeated requests from the Lieutenant Governor (LG), these reports have not been forwarded to him for presentation in the assembly.
The petition, filed by advocates Neeraj and Satya Ranjan Swain, noted that the BJP MLAs previously approached the chief minister, the chief secretary, and the speaker, but to no avail.
The plea stated,
“Despite the LG’s repeated requests and constitutional obligations, these reports were not sent to the LG and consequently could not be tabled in the Delhi legislative assembly,”
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It accused the government of “deliberate suppression of vital information,” asserting that this not only contravenes democratic principles but also hinders proper scrutiny of government actions and expenditures, raising significant concerns about financial propriety, transparency, and accountability.
The petitioners, therefore, requested directives for the finance department to send a proposal to the LG to fulfill his duties under Article 151(2) of the Constitution of India, 1950, Regulation 210(1) of the Regulations on Audit and Accounts, 2007, and Section 48 of the Government of National Capital Territory Act, 1991.