New Delhi, Mar 17: The Supreme Court on Monday sought a response from the Centre on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that challenges the current process of appointing the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG). The petition, filed by the NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation, argues that the sole appointment of the CAG by the executive and the prime minister violates the Constitution.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh issued a notice on the PIL and tagged it with a pending case on the same issue. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the NGO, emphasized that the matter concerns the independence of the CAG. He further alleged that audits by the CAG in states like Maharashtra, where the BJP holds power, are being deliberately stalled.
The PIL urges the court to direct that the CAG be appointed by the President in consultation with an independent and neutral selection committee, which would include the prime minister, the leader of the opposition (LoP), and the Chief Justice of India. The petition calls for the appointment process to be transparent and similar to that of other constitutional bodies, including the Information Commissions and the Central Vigilance Commission.
Tags: Northlines
