CAG audit: Government orders inquiry

In order to ascertain whether the Delhi administration was represented in the high court during the year-long President’s Rule in the national capital in the case filed by the private power distribution companies challenging the CAG audit, the Aam Aadmi Party government ordered an inquiry on Monday. As part of the probe ordered by Delhi power minister Satyendar Jain, it will also be investigated whether the representation by the Delhi government, if so, was adequate. Rahul Mehra, senior standing counsel of the Delhi government in the high court, will head the probe and submit his report within one week.

“The power minister has ordered an inquiry to ascertain whether the Delhi administration was represented at all in the high court and if it was, whether the representation was adequate during one year of President’s Rule, in the case filed by discoms, challenging the CAG audit,” a senior government official said.

The government move comes two days after the Delhi high court quashed the AAP government’s decision to get the accounts of three private power distribution companies audited by the CAG. During its 49-day stint in January and February last year, the Arvind Kejriwal government had ordered the CAG audit. His government had then resigned on February 14, 2014.

“Delhi was then placed under President’s Rule and following the fresh Assem-bly elections, the present government assumed office exactly after one year on February 14, 2015. Immedi-ately thereafter, the government appointed senior advocate Rajeev Dhawan to represent it before the De-lhi high court,” the government said in a statement.

It stated that only two hearings took place after February 14, 2015. The last hearing was on March 2, 2015. Mr Dhawan appeared in these hearings and effectively presented the Delhi government’s views. Since March 2, 2015, no further hearing took place and the order was reserved by the high court, the statement stated. “During its order, the observations of the Delhi high court raise serious questions on whether the Delhi government was properly represented before court during the one year of President’s Rule from February 14, 2014, to February 13, 2015. The inquiry will look into all these aspects,” it said.