Over the past one year the Comptroller Auditor General of India was extensively involved in auditing expenditures by the government for public developmental works, which had invariably shed negative light on the UPA government, besides robbing top notch ministers of their jobs in the Cabinet.
The latest top-political dignitary facing the heat is Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, following the CWG's findings on the allocation of coal blocks to private and public-private firms between 2004 and 2009.
The opposition parties have already raised the protest banner and are demanding the resignation of the incumbent Prime Minister, who oversaw the functions of coal allocation when the the alleged lapses in coal ministry took place.
The CAG has pegged a whooping loss of ₹1860 billion to the state exchequer as the government chose to allocate the coal blocks, instead of restoring to competitive bidding. As a result, some of the private concerns have received undue benefits, while inflicting a significant loss for the country.
The widening gap between the demand and domestic production of coal and rising imports of coal attracted the CAG to carry out a thorough audit on the initiatives, starting 2004 in coal allocation and augmentation of coal production.
According to the final audit draft, about 155 coal blocks were allocated to as many as 100 private and state-run companies without auction. The said lapses in the coal business by the concerned ministry burnt a deep hole in the exchequer's pocket and added another layer to the UPA's alleged corrupt face.
The CAG's findings after mid-2010 have left a massive dent in the UPA's regime, and have armed the Opposition with enough ammunition to target the ruling Congress over its alleged irregularities in various sectors.
The government auditor has unearthed mega scams like the 2008 2G Spectrum and 2010 Commonwealth Games scandals, which had cost the ministerial jobs for the officials who were held accountable for causing loss to the state exchequer.
Former Telecom Minister A Raja was the first minister to be sent to jail virtually straight from the office, after he was accused of allotting the 2G spectrum license in 2008 at throwaway prices to benefit some private carriers and for monetary rewards. According to the audit report, bending of the rules by the then accused Telecom Minister in granting 122 2G airwaves licenses has caused ₹1760 billion loss to the country.
On the other hand, Commonwealth Games Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalamdi was sacked from the Cabinet, following the revelation of the corruption scandal in the 2010 CWG in Delhi.
Kalmadi was arrested by CBI last year for awarding the contracts for few private companies at an exorbitant price and thus causing yet another extensive loss to the exchequer. The 2G and CWG 2010 scandals are considered as the biggest corruption scandals of independent India and both came to light at relatively the same time.
The CAG's latest report on allocation of coal blocks has just drawn more troubles for the UPA, which is already neck-deep in the quagmire of corruption charges. What is surprising is that the CWG's gun barrel is presently pointing at, perhaps the only, clean face of UPA: Manmohan Singh.
Manmohan Singh who was much appreciated for his personal honesty, is now facing the charges of causing a huge monetary loss to the government which surpassed the calculated loss of 2G spectrum.
What remains to be seen is will the incorruptible symbol of UPA (Manmohan Singh) overcome the charges that has raised questions on his integrity while keeping his Prime Minister post intact, or if he would meet the same fate as that of Raja and Kalmadi.
