NEW DELHE: Justice H.R. Khama, a retired judge of the Supreme Court has sharply criticized the attacks of the Congress I members of Parliament on the report by Comptroller and Auditor General, “Do they want a committed Comptroller General?” he asked,

The following is the text of the letter:

The attacks, remind one of the vicious language used against the judges in the 1970, whenever they pronounced any judgment not to the liking of Congress bosses which then, as now, was also the ruling, party.

“View was then expressed by some senior Congress I ministers they wanted a committed judiciary, subscribing to the same policy as that of the party in power, in line with the practice prevailing in totalitarian states.”

“Senior most judges were also superseded for appointment to the office of Chief Justice of India, because the judgments rendered by them were not palatable to the ruling party. The judiciary in India has not been able to recover from the blows which were inflicted upon it. One wonders if the stalwarts of Congress party now want to propound a theory of a committed comptroller and Auditor General one who would tum a blind eye to what he considers financial lapses or irregularities on the part of the rulers of the day. We must seriously consider whether it would be in national interests to have a docile and pliable Comptroller and Auditor General blurring over the financial irregularities and lapses of the powers that be, or whether we want a Vigilant sentinel of financial transactions of the country and not one hesitant to point out what he considers to be deviations and infractions of norms of fiscal discipline.

We should not forget that a subservient comptroller and auditor general is a condition in terms.

The last two decades have witnessed the decline of most of the institutions in the country with a view to make them give in to the wishes of those in power. Let us not add to the list of the damaged institutions, the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General.

Article extracted from this publication >>  August 4, 1989