NEW DELHI, Nov 26 � Reacting to Comptroller and Auditor General�s (CAG) latest report on North Cachar Hills scam, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta on Friday called for resignation of Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi.
Alleging that the State Government was not cooperating with the CAG, Mahanta said as State Finance Minister, he should owe moral responsibility and quit. When Congress president, Sonia Gandhi can take action against corruption in Maharastra, why Assam is left out, he wondered.
Mahanta�s case was that Gogoi had claimed that the only Rs 40-45 crore had been released for the Hill district. While the CAG report, which is yet to be tabled in the State Legislative Assembly, states that there is irregularities to the tune of over Rs 400 crore.
�Where has this excess money come from, when the State Government has not passed supplementary demands and appropriation, in this regards.
Moreover, the CAG audited reports pertaining to 2007-2008, 2008-2009, 2009-2010 period and checked only eight of the 30 departments. What would be magnitude of the scam, if all the departments are covered by audit, he asked.
The CAG audited accounts of PHE, Agriculture, social welfare, PWD, education, health and tourism departments.
With two AGP MPs, Kumar Deepak Das and Joseph Toppo by his side, Mahanta alleged even the CBI has not been given all the cases to probe.
Accusing the Chief Minister of shielding the guilty, Mahanta revived the old issue of alleged involvement of seven ministers.
Mahanta argued that the Central Government too has a responsibility to see that the scam is thoroughly investigated. It was special audit conducted by the CAG after the scam came to light. Describing the CAG report as explosive, he alleged that the report had stated that the State Government was not cooperated with it.
But the opposition faces a piquant situation, as the State Government is not expected to lay the CAG report in the Assembly any time soon. With elections round the corner, the report may have to wait till the new government takes over next year, admitted the AGP leaders.
