Union law and justice minister M. Veerappa Moily has issued a directive stating that all important files on which the law ministry has given an advice should be routed through him. The step assumes significance as the law ministry had recently come under criticism for its advice to the PMO on the 2G issue.
Sources stated that the minister has also asked law secretary D.R. Meena to ensure that all references received from the Presidential Secretariat, the PMO and the Cabinet Secretariat be looked into by the law secretary himself. “The law minister has directed the law secretary to present a fortnightly report on all important files on which an opinion has been given by the ministry,” sources added.
The directive issued by the minister goes on to state that all important appeals and special leave petitions being filed by the government are also to be routed through him. The law minister’s directive states that references made by Cabinet committee on appointment, matters which have a significant financial implication and issues pertaining to class one officers in the government are also to be reported to the minister’s office.
Sources stated that the law minister’s directive is understood to have been issued in an effort to streamline the advisory role of the law ministry.
“The minister wants to establish a mechanism through which the opinions and advice offered by the ministry can be monitored at a higher level,” sources stated.
It is understood that by establishing such a mechanism the government will also be able to fix responsibility of its law officials in cases where any laxity in offering an advice comes to light.
“The proposed system will also enable the ministry to keep track of important files and dealing with these in a time bound and more effective manner, effectively cutting out delays in the system,” sources added.
***
CAG stands by its report on 2G
New Delhi, Jan. 10: Amidst controversy over its figures of revenue loss on account of allocation of 2G spectrum, government auditor CAG on Monday said that it stood by the report it submitted to Parliament late 2010.
“CAG stands by its report on 2G spectrum hundred per cent”, the CAG spokesperson told reporters.
Telecom minister Kapil Sibal last week had questioned the findings of the report saying that CAG’s estimate of `1.76 lakh crore loss to the exchequer on account of allocation of the spectrum was “utterly erroneous”.
The minister had gone to the extent of saying that government did not suffer any loss. —PTI