The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which scrutinises key reports by the auditor general, failed to arrive at a consensus on Friday on examining the government's response to coronavirus pandemic or PM CARES fund which is set up to tackle the crisis.
Friday's meeting of the 22-member Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chaired by leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was attended by 17 out of the total 20 members. Its two seats are vacant.
According to a report by NDTV, members of the PAC, in which BJP enjoys majority, thwarted Chowdhury's attempt to select the PM CARES Fund for examination saying its amount was not sanctioned by the parliament and therefore it cannot be taken up by the committee.
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, chairman of the committee, who is also the leader of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha, appealed to members to think of the nation and act with their conscience.
Some opposition leaders claimed that the reason for denying the scrutiny of the COVID-19 pandemic and the government's response is because the BJP is afraid of a closer look into the PM CARES fund which is not under the audit of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), reported NDTV.
Meanwhile, the PAC has decided to examine various subjects with special focus being given to the CAG report number 5 of 2017, a performance audit of the Sino-India Border Roads, and CAG report number 13 of 2019 which is on the provisioning and procurement of high altitude-clothing, equipment, ration and housing for soldiers.
As per the papers circulated among the members of the committee on Friday, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on border roads is the top most subject for examination by the committee during the year, reported PTI.
