Agusta Westland Chopper SCAM: CAG says auditing copter deal, stresses accountability

Comptroller and Auditor General of India Vinod Rai on Friday said that the apex auditing body is looking into the controversial multi-crore defence deal for VVIP helicopters and a report is expected soon.

"It has been audited... I can tell you that the programmes and decisions of the Defence Department are also checked. The helicopter deal is being audited," said Rai. Allegations have been made regarding kickbacks in the 12-helicopter deal with AgustaWestland.

Rai was speaking on the theme 'Government accountability is the key to a vibrant democracy' at the third anniversary function of Moneylife Foundation.

He has been at loggerheads with the Central government following his remarks about "crony capitalism" during a lecture at the Harvard Kennedy School last week. When asked about the feeling in some quarters that the government made a "wrong choice" in appointing him as CAG, Rai said: "The government made a wrong choice, they will make a right choice in choosing the successor."

He dismissed talk about him joining politics post retirement. When asked if he had plans to join a political party, he first questioned if there was anything wrong in it, and then added "I will prove them wrong if you give me a job."

In his address he said that there are "distinct signs of urban middle class mobilising", that the class which took pride in not going to vote is now aggregating. "What has stirred them? Maybe corruption at every government office, for birth certificates, gas connections... it cannot be wished away anymore... (it) is a long-term phenomenon," he said.

2012 would be remembered as the year in which the citizen came centrestage and debunked the concept of "silent majority", Rai said. "It is widely believed that this churning in the middle class has taken the administration by surprise. They were neither prepared nor attuned... They cannot conceive spontaneous crowds collecting."

He added that this middle class has grown up respecting the system and rule of law. "But the political establishment seems to subvert this and hence the total disharmony. The need for accountability has never been as strongly felt as in the present day world."
COURTESY:
Express news service : Mumbai, Sat Feb 16 2013, 02:47 hrs
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/cag-says-auditing-copter-deal-stresses-accountability/1075130/0