Need to strengthen institutions like CAG, CVC: Sushma

Taking a dig at government’s contention of blaming vigilance and investigating agencies for policy paralysis, BJP leader Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday said though their vigour does not suit the ruling class many a time, institutions such as the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) and the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) should be strengthened in a healthy democracy.

“Recently a statement came which disturbed me that institutions like CAG and CVC are an obstacle in progress. I would like to state from this stage that it is not a healthy thinking. This thinking is harmful for democracy.

“The entire constitutional format is based on checks and balances. Vigilance and prevention are a way to strengthen the Constitution,” Ms. Swaraj said during the inauguration of CVC’s golden jubilee celebrations here.

It is therefore necessary to strengthen the organisations which have been given powers by the Constitution to keep vigilance over different arms of the democratic government.

“Any deterioration in these organisations will also adversely impact democracy,” the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said.

She said the vigilance commission realised its powers after the CVC Act 2003 came into being and started working with new vigour. “But many a time this vigour of investigating agencies does not suit the ruling class. The rulers can be of central and state,” she observed.

Addressing a session of All India Congress Committee (AICC) last month here, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said that growth rate had slowed down because clearances were not granted by bureaucrats to infrastructure projects for the fear of CAG and CVC.

“We agree that there are certain domestic reasons responsible for the slowdown in our growth rate. Infrastructure projects do not get expeditious clearances. Bureaucrats are hesitant to take decisions fearing that CVC and CAG will raise questions over their decisions,” he had said.