Though there was a pressure on the Comptroller Auditor General (CAG) to release the report at the earliest considering election in Delhi, the ground reality suggests that it would not be possible for the audit agency to come up with the findings before seven months.
Ever since Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal ordered a Discom audit when he was the Chief Minister, the issue became an “albatross around the neck” of the national auditor. It was found that some of the crucial files of BSES Rajdhani and Yamuna are still “awaiting submission” before the national auditor.
On January 9, 2014, audit was started and even after a year — it is going to take another seven months for the final output. A “noticeable delay” in handing over files to CAG came even after CAG chief Shashi Kant Sharma’s letter on June 16, 2014, to Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung expressing his annoyance over the delay.
He then raised serious questions over the functioning of the top bureaucrats of Delhi government for not playing the role of facilitator ‘effectively’ despite having 49 per cent share in the power Discoms.
“Those who are engaged with the audit of Discoms, cannot wait for infinite period for the crucial records required for the audit as per the orders of the Supreme Court,” Sharma had said.
Sources added, the audit is going on at a lesser pace, which was not expected and this is happening mainly because the CAG is waiting for some more “crucial files” from BSES Rajdhani and Yamuna respectively.
On the context of Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL), he added: “They have submitted almost all the relevant files except few but we are yet to receive some of the important files related to two other companies.”
It was learnt that on ‘Planning, Project Formulation, Award and Capital Expenditure’ BSES Rajdhani and Yamuna is reportedly yet to give nearly eight and three files out of 26 and nine respectively to CAG.
In terms of ‘Operation & Maintenance’ nearly nine files out of 33 (including both BSES Rajdhani and Yamuna) are not being handed over to the audit agency, while on ‘metering, billing and collection from consumers’ it is believed that nearly seven crucial files out of 58 (including both BSES Rajdhani and Yamuna) was not delivered to the agency.
Not the least, on ‘corporate governance, monitoring internal control, at least eight important dossiers out of 35 asked by CAG is awaiting submission. Sources said, the company has carefully chosen these files that has caused the delay in handing over the documents to the CAG.
Till seven months back, it was learnt that out of 312 files asked by the CAG, only 158 documents had been handed over to the audit agency by TPDDL. However, BSES Rajdhani has not given 96 crucial documents (out of 256), while BSES Yamuna too was reluctant to submit 103 significant files out of 309 as asked by the CAG. But now the audit agency is awaiting at least 20 very important files, to conclude their audit. Well placed sources said, the number of pending files could be more but to reach a conclusion these 20 files were crucial.
Kejriwal claimed that the audit will expose financial irregularities of the private companies and promised to make a case for reduction in power rates.
Ever since Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal ordered a Discom audit when he was the Chief Minister, the issue became an “albatross around the neck” of the national auditor. It was found that some of the crucial files of BSES Rajdhani and Yamuna are still “awaiting submission” before the national auditor.
On January 9, 2014, audit was started and even after a year — it is going to take another seven months for the final output. A “noticeable delay” in handing over files to CAG came even after CAG chief Shashi Kant Sharma’s letter on June 16, 2014, to Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung expressing his annoyance over the delay.
He then raised serious questions over the functioning of the top bureaucrats of Delhi government for not playing the role of facilitator ‘effectively’ despite having 49 per cent share in the power Discoms.
“Those who are engaged with the audit of Discoms, cannot wait for infinite period for the crucial records required for the audit as per the orders of the Supreme Court,” Sharma had said.
Sources added, the audit is going on at a lesser pace, which was not expected and this is happening mainly because the CAG is waiting for some more “crucial files” from BSES Rajdhani and Yamuna respectively.
On the context of Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL), he added: “They have submitted almost all the relevant files except few but we are yet to receive some of the important files related to two other companies.”
It was learnt that on ‘Planning, Project Formulation, Award and Capital Expenditure’ BSES Rajdhani and Yamuna is reportedly yet to give nearly eight and three files out of 26 and nine respectively to CAG.
In terms of ‘Operation & Maintenance’ nearly nine files out of 33 (including both BSES Rajdhani and Yamuna) are not being handed over to the audit agency, while on ‘metering, billing and collection from consumers’ it is believed that nearly seven crucial files out of 58 (including both BSES Rajdhani and Yamuna) was not delivered to the agency.
Not the least, on ‘corporate governance, monitoring internal control, at least eight important dossiers out of 35 asked by CAG is awaiting submission. Sources said, the company has carefully chosen these files that has caused the delay in handing over the documents to the CAG.
Till seven months back, it was learnt that out of 312 files asked by the CAG, only 158 documents had been handed over to the audit agency by TPDDL. However, BSES Rajdhani has not given 96 crucial documents (out of 256), while BSES Yamuna too was reluctant to submit 103 significant files out of 309 as asked by the CAG. But now the audit agency is awaiting at least 20 very important files, to conclude their audit. Well placed sources said, the number of pending files could be more but to reach a conclusion these 20 files were crucial.
Kejriwal claimed that the audit will expose financial irregularities of the private companies and promised to make a case for reduction in power rates.