Audit report on state finances submitted on Nov 6 for tabling in Kerala Assembly: CAG
Nov 17, 2020
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], November 17 : Two days after Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac criticised the Comptroller and Auditor General of India for its findings in a "draft report", the CAG on Monday clarified that an audit report on state finances for the year ended March 2019 was submitted on November 6 to be tabled in the Kerala Assembly.
"The CAG has forwarded the audit report on state finances for the year ended March 2019 to the state government on November 6, 2020, for presentation to the Kerala Legislative Assembly. As per the existing procedure, a press note about the submission to the government has to be published in the local dailies," the CAG said in a press note.
Isaac had on Saturday targeted the CAG over its "findings" in its report that the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) was "unconstitutionally" raising loans. He had said that the Kerala government will not allow the CAG to destroy KIIFB.
The remarks of the Kerala Finance Minister had attracted severe criticism from the opposition in the state including the United Democratic Front (UDF), which alleged that Isaac was deliberately trying to create a controversy over the CAG report to divert public attention from the crisis being faced by the state government over gold smuggling and other cases.
Earlier, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president K Surendran on Sunday alleged that the state government used the KIIFB as a source of earning money. "KIIFB deals are not transparent so there is a chance for corruption. CAG report backs our stand now. CBI should investigate deals in KIIFB," Surendran said.
