Big-ticket corruption scandals a thing of past: Former CAG

Former CAG Vinod Rai on Thursday said the big-ticket corruption scandals are a thing of the past and the recent auction of coal blocks and spectrum stand a “test of transparency”. 

“The big-ticket corruption scandals are a thing of the past and we may not have cases of such occurrences now,” the former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) said while delivering the annual Kilachand Memorial Lecture at the Indian Merchants Chamber here. The former CAG had an issue with the 2G spectrum allocation in 2008, where it pegged the notional loss at Rs 1.76 trillion, because it was given under the ‘first-come- first-serve’ policy.

“I don’t think anybody faulted the auction process of 3G (by the previous UPA regime) and I think the same has happened with these two auctions (coal and spectrum). There are some aberrations with regard to court cases, but by and large, 90 per cent, I believe the process does stand the test of transparency,” he said. Welcoming the rise in activism, Rai said it debunks “the myth of a silent majority” and ensures public interest is not compromised in governance.