NEW DELHI: This year, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) will primarily focus on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s expenses on publicity, discom status, money spent on health infrastructure and the financial health of five other sectors.
It is claimed that over 10 fiscal years ending with 2021–2022, the Delhi government’s spending on advertisements climbed by 4,273 per cent. The cost of advertising during the two Covid-19 epidemic years was Rs 199.99 crore in 2019–2020 and Rs 293.20 crore in 2020–21.
There has been a major row in Delhi with three private companies going against the decision of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in 2014. Kejriwal wanted to get the discoms audited. The matter, however, went to the higher courts. The three discoms — Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd, BSES Rajdhani and BSES Yamuna – had alleged that the Delhi government’s order for audit was a political ploy.
Further, the CAG will also look at the functioning of the Kejriwal government’s claims of enhancing health infrastructure in Delhi with the construction of four new hospitals with a bed capacity of 3,237, and seven new ICU hospitals with 6,836 beds. The auditor will thoroughly examine the “Public Health Infrastructure and Management of Health Services”.
The auditor will also look into the performances of the Delhi Jal Board and Delhi Transport Corporation and how the pre-post matric scholarship scheme/NSAP was implemented. The books of the department’s oversight on GST payment and returns filing and GST registration would also be audited.
Spending on Advertisements see a rise
It is claimed that over 10 fiscal years ending with 2021–2022, the Delhi government’s spending on advertisements climbed by 4,273 per cent.