Harish makes light of CAG’s adverse report

Says it had found faults with YSR, Modi regimes also

The ruling TRS on Monday alleged ‘discrimination’ by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India in auditing finances of BJP-ruled and non-BJP states and accused the opposition parties of “blowing out of proportion” the issues highlighted in the recent CAG report.

Addressing a press conference on Monday at Telangana Bhavan, irrigation minister T. Harish Rao said the opposition parties were creating unnecessary fuss over the CAG report. “It came to our notice that some Congress Chief Ministers are already alleging that CAG is discriminating between the BJP- and non-BJP ruled states,” he said.

“In the BJP-ruled states, the CAG showed loans taken by the government as investments. But in Telangana, it showed loans taken for development works as loans,” the minister said.

He said the Opposition should realise that it is not for the first time in the country’s history that the CAG submitted adverse reports on the Central or state governments.

He reminded Congress about late chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy’s statement that the CAG report was not a Bible, Quran or a Bhagawad Gita.

Responding to the criticism of the BJP leaders in Telangana, the irrigation minister stated that the CAG report had pointed out `23,000crore irregularities in Gujarat when Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister.

When CAG pointed out irregularities in UPA regime, Mr Rao said former PM Dr Manmohan Singh had said that CAG reports should not be taken seriously.

“If opposition parties really wants to take CAG reports so seriously, why are they ignoring the positive things mentioned in the same CAG report on the performance of Telangana government in education, health, irrigation sectors etc. This shows they are interested only in mud slinging for political mileage.”

“Now TPCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddy and (the Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly) Jana Reddy are making tall claims over the CAG reports. Were they not ministers in the Congress governments when the CAG pointed irregularities during their regime?” Mr Rao asked.

The minister has also reiterated that the CAG never pointed out to corruption in the Telangana government but found fault only on certain technical issues.

Mr Rao said the TRS government has been securing loans to create assets like irrigation projects, Mission Bhagiratha, roads, infrastructure facilities within FRBM limits and it should be viewed as capital investment.