PANAJI: Former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Elvis Gomes said that the office of the comptroller and auditor general of India in Goa should have by now ordered a special audit of the accounts of the labour department that is embroiled in a major scam of siphoning off of funds meant for poor construction workers to political workers. He said that the CAG has the powers to undertake special audits of government offices where public funds are alleged to be misappropriated. The former bureaucrat further said that the central agency stationed in Goa shouldn’t be seen as holidaying in the state but should restore the confidence that it is the watchdog over expenditures made by government departments and agencies.
“Despite the Lokayukta’s exposure of corruption and resultant orders, lack of interest by the state government in ordering a time bound investigation is understandable as the government is itself involved in it. But what is it that stops the CAG?” asked Gomes stating that if no action is forthcoming, taking resort to moving the High Court for a CBI investigation would be the only option.
