THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday moved an unusual resolution against CAG financial audit report that had adverse remarks against the government's flagship project Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), which drew heavy criticism from the opposition bench.
The resolution was moved in the backdrop of criticisms raised by the government, including Finance Minister Thomas Isaac, that the remarks were baseless and not present in the draft of the report submitted to the government.
The CAG report had given the opposition an opportunity to pounce on the government. The report said the KIIFB loans were off-budget loans which were taken by bypassing the cap set on external borrowings and that was done by flouting Constitutional norms. The report also expressed concerns that the loans would finally end up as a state liability.
The government reaction was that the loans were being taken by a corporate body formed by the Assembly and that there was nothing unconstitutional about it.
Moving the resolution, the Chief Minister said the CAG has violated its own procedures while preparing the report as it did not listen to the department concerned, which is denial of natural justice.
"As per conventions, the remarks should be included in the draft so that the department concerned can give their reply. But it did not happen. The report will do away with the checks and balances existing between the legislature and the executive," he said.
Opposing the move, UDF's VS Satheesan said moving a resolution against the report filed by the constitutional body is unheard of and goes against the constitutional values.
"There is no constitutional provisions, statutes, rules of procedure or convention to move such a resolution against the CAG report," he said.
Satheesan added that the audit para of the CAG is not the final word as the Public Accounts Committee set up by the house will reach a conclusion on it after hearing the departments concerned and the CAG.
The resolution carried the government's opposition to the remarks against KIIFB listed from page 41 to 43 of the report and its recording in the executive summary.
The Finance Minister had earlier told the Assembly that the CAG did not communicate the points, where it was having contentions, to the state government nor did it include it in the draft. He had also said that the report has created extra ordinary situations.