KG basin contracts: CAG findings not a report on corruption, says Congress

The Congress today downplayed opposition demand that the prime minister should take full responsibility in the wake of CAG audit findings on the KG basin gas contracts with Reliance Industries (RIL) and order a probe into it saying they are "not a report on corruption".

"I am very surprised that senior parliamentarians have not understood the role of the CAG. The role is that of an auditor. CAG report is not a report on corruption. It is not an investigative agency but a book-keeping agency", party general secretary Digvijay Singh told reporters.

He was asked about CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury's demand that the prime minister and the Union Cabinet must take full responsibility and order an inquiry into the matter.

Singh said the report would be fully deliberated by the Public Accounts Committee headed by a senior opposition leader Murali Manohar Joshi.

"The PAC is fully competent to inquiry and the concerned ministry will give the appropriate response", he added.

There has been a raging controversy over the comptroller and auditor general's draft report severely criticising oil ministry's role in approving Reliance Industries' KG-D6 "inflated" field costs. The ministry has said no one should jump to conclusions as the report is yet to be finalised.

Singh also dismissed BJP demand for the resignation of the home minister P Chidambaram for being allegedly involved in 2G scam. "BJP makes such demands as it has not got any agenda," he said.