SHILLONG, March 22 � With a CAG report castigating Meghalaya legislators of making fake TA claims, Speaker Charles Pyngrope today referred the report to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for examination, saying the CAG did not follow the �rules of justice�.
Pyngrope said the Auditor General himself is reported to have told the media that the Assembly Secretariat has not responded to his queries, yet the comments were incorporated in the audit report.
�Hearing the other party before conclusions are made is the silver line of natural justice. There was no hurry to incorporate comments without hearing the affected parties concerned,� the Speaker ruled, adding that there is ample scope for the PAC to find out the truth.
With the CAG report bringing embarrassment to the legislators, Pyngrope, who was also a part of the delegation that visited Europe, said the ultimate authority to find out the truth is the PAC and not the CAG.
�If the Accountant General has not received the reply from the Assembly Secretariat, how can he assume that the bills were faked. The media should also restrain while reporting the matter and not jump to conclusions,� Pyngrope later told reporters.
The Speaker said if necessary he would constitute a special committee to look into the matter. � PTI
