CAG says Shillong Times story on Power Department misleading and not based on facts

By Daiaphira Kharsati | SHILLONG:

The office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) said on Tuesday that the Shillong Times story on the alleged Saubhagya scam in the power department was misleading and not based on facts, as no such report was made public by the CAG.

According to a statement by the CAG office, only those reports which have been duly approved by the CAG after following the due process of verification and approvals can be termed as the CAG’s Report.

"Making reference to the CAG’s report in the said news item is not factually correct,” Deputy Account General (Administration) said in a statement to Shillong Times.

"Referring to these documents as CAG reports is misleading and not based on facts,” he added.

Meanwhile, Power Minister James Sangma said on similar lines that no CAG report was published so far mentioning anything about the Saubhagya scheme. 

Sangma said that if any report of this nature even existed, it is a breach of privilege as CAG reports are only public when tabled at the floor of the Assembly. 

“I was quite surprised this morning by the newspaper report which has alleged that there are findings of the CAG towards the irregularities in the Saubhagya scheme. . . this could be a document which was leaked which is actually very illegal in nature," he said.

Replying to a query on his alleged closeness with Himanshu Jain, director of Satnam Global, Sangma said that it is wrong to make such insinuations and is on the lines for defamation.

“Before they make such accusations, they must be substantiated by facts,” he said.

On allegations of hurriedly closing the Saubhagya Scheme, Sangma said that the scheme is a time-bound scheme. 

“A letter has come from the Government of India saying that the scheme has to be closed before the July 31, failing which the state government will have to bear the whole expenditure of the Saubhagya scheme," he said.

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