Cooperating with CAG in auditing: Discoms to HC

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delhi-high-courtThe private discoms supplying power in the national capital on Friday told Delhi High Court that they have been cooperating with the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in the audit of their accounts.

Senior Counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd (TPDDL), reiterated that the information sought by the CAG has been duly furnished even as he contended that the allegations of non-cooperation are being levelled to delay the jurisdictional aspect of the matter.

“With regard to some data not being provided by us, it is (because) the format in which it has been sought by CAG is not available with us and thus the delay. I don’t have a thermometer to determine the level of cooperation,” he said.

He added that the format for information has been revised frequently by CAG and the data sought for the past 10 financial years is voluminous.

A division bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice RS Endlaw posted the matter for further hearing on May 26.

The bench is hearing a batch of petitions, including three appeals filed by TPDDL and Reliance
Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group firms, BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd and BSES Yamuna Power Ltd.
The discoms moved the larger bench of the court against its single judge’s order of January 24 refusing to stall their CAG audit and asking them to “fully cooperate with the Comptroller and Auditor General in the audit process”.

Besides these pleas, the court is also hearing a PIL filed by NGO United RWAs Joint Action, seeking CAG audit of the discoms’ accounts.

The single judge bench, which did not stay the CAG audit, however, had said that the report of the audit will not be released without the court’s permission.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the NGO, had said that a DERC audit of a discom had revealed massive fudging of accounts and the NGO had also sought action against those involved.

The three private firms came into being in 2002 when the then Delhi government decided to privatise power distribution.

Delhi discoms are a 51:49 per cent joint venture between the private companies and the Delhi government.

(Source:PTI)

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