The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has reportedly transferred three auditors who were responsible for unearthing alleged irregularities in the Centre's flagship Bharatmala and Ayushman Bharat schemes. The controversial transfers came to light through a report by The Wire, drawing sharp criticism from the Congress.
The audit reports, which shed light on potential irregularities within the schemes, were presented in Parliament this August. However, it has been revealed that the transfer orders were issued on September 12, as reported by The Wire.
The transferred officers, identified as Atoorva Sinha and Dattaprasad Suryakant Shirsa from the Indian Audit and Accounts Service, were in charge of the audit reports scrutinising the Dwarka Expressway project and the Ayushman Bharat scheme. The third auditor, Ashok Sinha, had initiated the audit of the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
Atoorva Sinha, who had been appointed as the principal director of audit infrastructure in Delhi earlier in March, has been reassigned as the accountant general in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram, according to The Wire.
The CAG's reports brought to light irregularities in various aspects, including the Bharatmala project, the construction of Dwarka Expressway, violations of toll regulations by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the Ayushman Bharat Scheme, and alleged undue advantages granted to contractors in the Ayodhya Development Project.
The Congress party, in a strong reaction to these transfers, accused the government of intimidating CAG officers who had exposed "corruption" within various schemes. Jairam Ramesh, Congress General Secretary, demanded an immediate revocation of the transfer orders and a return of the officers to their original positions within the CAG.
The Modi government operates mafia style under a cloak of silence and intimidation. If anyone exposes its modus operandi of corruption, they are threatened or removed. The latest victims are three officers of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG),…— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 11, 2023
