NEW DELHI: No useful purpose would be served in tabling the CAG reports on city administration in the assembly when its tenure ends in February, the assembly secretariat has informed the Delhi High Court.
Delhi assembly secretariat was responding to a plea by seven BJP MLAs on the issue of tabling of CAG reports in the assembly.
“The tenure of the present assembly is coming to an end in February, 2025 and the last session of the assembly was held on 4 December, 2024, implying the reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India cited in the writ petition will not be examined by the PAC before the tenure of the present Assembly expires,” the reply said.
It said, “No useful purpose will be served if the said reports are laid down before the House at this juncture of time, as these reports could be subjected to closer and detailed examination only by the successor PAC to be elected by the next Assembly, which will be constituted after the elections.”
Being the guardian of the house under the Constitution, the secretariat said, the speaker’s discretion to summon a sitting of the legislative assembly was part of its internal functioning, which was outside the purview of any judicial review.
The reports, the secretariat’s reply said, could now be examined as per the legal framework by the successor public accounts committee of the legislature, which would be elected by the next assembly post the upcoming elections.
The L-G, on the other hand, filed a reply in the matter, claiming the high court was empowered to direct the speaker to immediately ensure the tabling of the reports before the house.
The L-G pointed out an “extraordinary delay” in tabling the audit reports and said the people of Delhi were entitled to have access to the CAG reports. On December 24, the HC issued notice on the petitioners’ prayer to direct the speaker to take action for discharge of its constitutional obligation and summon a special sitting of the legislative assembly to table the reports before the house.