'What is the Relevance?': CM Satheesan Slams 20-Year Delay in PAC Files
Kerala CM VD Satheesan urges a nationwide drive to clear 20-year-old PAC files and questions the CAG's audit methodology.
Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan has sounded a loud alarm over the staggering backlog of cases pending before Public Accounts Committees (PACs) across India. Speaking at the inaugural session of the Conference of Chairpersons of Public Accounts Committees of Parliament and State Legislatures, the Chief Minister questioned the very purpose of legislative scrutiny when files remain untouched for decades.
The Crisis of Accountability: Files Dating Back 20 Years
The Chief Minister pointed out that several PACs nationwide are burdened with a massive volume of pending files, some of which date back 20 years. He argued that such delays render financial accountability meaningless.
"I do request all of you that so many files, a huge number of files, are pending before the PACs across the country. Even the files which are 20 years old are pending. What is the relevance of the committee then?" Satheesan questioned.
He highlighted a grim reality of these delays: by the time a committee concludes an investigation into financial irregularities, the officials responsible may have already retired or passed away, leaving no room for actual consequences or recovery.
To combat this, Satheesan called for a nationwide special drive to clear the backlog, ensuring that audit observations lead to timely and meaningful accountability rather than becoming obsolete records.
Questioning the CAG's 'Presumptive' Methodology
Beyond the delays, the Chief Minister took a critical look at the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India. He raised serious concerns regarding the methodology used by the CAG to calculate financial implications and assess government decisions.
Satheesan argued that shifting audit approaches can defeat the primary purpose of an audit. To illustrate his point, he cited the 2010 CAG report on 2G spectrum allocation, noting that the widely publicized estimated loss of ₹1.76 lakh crore was not a realized loss but a "hypothetical presumptive projection."
The Vizhinjam Port Controversy
The CM also brought up the CAG report on the Vizhinjam International Deep Water Multipurpose Seaport Project. He stated that the primary issue lies in the CAG's approach to evaluating Public-Private Partnership (PPP) frameworks. He mentioned that a Judicial Commission had specifically objected to the CAG categorizing the Vizhinjam Port project under the PSU (Public Sector Undertaking) category.
Kerala's Legacy and Current Challenges
Drawing from his own tenure as the former Chairperson of the PAC of the Kerala Legislature, Satheesan expressed pride in the state's oversight tradition, which dates back to 1932 at the Sree Moolam Assembly of Old Travancore. He noted that the Kerala PAC has submitted the highest number of reports among all PACs in the country.
However, he also cautioned against using legislative majorities to weaken the powers of the PAC. He pointed to a specific instance in January 2021, where the Kerala Assembly passed a resolution to exclude the audit findings of the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB)—an extra-budgetary borrowing mechanism—from the scrutiny of the PAC, describing it as an "unusual procedure."