KD Gas: CAG a book-keeper, not a probe agency, Congress

The Congress on Friday sought to downplay the Comptroller & Auditor General's draft report in which the Congress is alleged to have favoured Reliance Industries Ltd on the Krishna-Godavari gas contract to the detriment of the exchequer, saying it was ''not a report on corruption".

On the oppostion's demand that the prime minister take full responsibility for the CAG findings, party general secretary Digvijaya Singh told reporters, "I am very surprised that senior parliamentarians have not understood the role of the CAG. The role is that of an auditor. The CAG report is not a report on corruption. It is not an investigative agency but a book-keeping agency."

On Communist Party (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury's demand that the prime minister and the union cabinet take full responsibility and order an inquiry into the matter, Singh said the report would be fully deliberated by the Public Accounts Committee headed by senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi.

"The PAC is fully competent to conduct an inquiry and the concerned ministry will give an appropriate response," he said.

There has been a controversy raging over the CAG's draft report, which severely criticises the petroleum ministry's role in approving Reliance Industries' "inflated" field costs in the K-G D6 block.

The ministry has said no one should jump to conclusions as the report is yet to be finalised. Singh also dismissed BJP demand for the resignation of the Home Minister P Chidambaram for being allegedly involved in 2G scam.