Though subjected to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) domain, the government has been protecting its accounts from public scrutiny under the pretext of secured information.
Acting under the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), country’s sole technical spy agency NTRO has received a shot in the arm as the Supreme Court on Monday deferred till July end hearing in a law suit that seeks to expose the multi-crore scam in the secret operations of the agency.
Though subjected to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) domain, the government has been protecting its accounts from public scrutiny under the pretext of secured information.
During the brief hearing a bench of Justices HL Dattu and CK Prasad hinted it was satisfied with whatever action has been taken by the government on the gigantic scam reported by the CAG.
It wanted additional solicitor Harin Rawal to submit fresh status report on the action taken against the suspects.
However, petitioner VK Mittal’s lawyer Jayant Bhushan pleaded that the government is covering up the scam.
Bhushan also expressed dissatisfaction over the government action though he has not been given the copy of ATR.
Exactly a year ago, the Delhi High Court had disposed of Mittal petition that had sought action on the CAG report. Aggrieved by the disposal without relief, Mittal soon moved the top court where his law suit has been pending since.
While the government has asserted that neither the CAG’s report nor the agency’s accounts are subject to public scrutiny, Bhushan has told the court that under the law every penny draw from the Consolidated Fund of India is liable to under public audit.
A whopping Rs450-crore scam is alleged in the NTRO operations.
Set up in 2004, NTRO has been entrusted with the task of missile monitoring, satellite and airborne imagery, cyber patrolling and security, cyber offensive operations and communication support
systems, including cryptology.
The alleged scam related to purchase of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from an Israeli firm allegedly at a very high price without the mandatory approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).
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