CAG should take note of Supreme Court ruling, says government

Armed with the apex Supreme Court

observation, the Government on Friday said constitutional

authorities like the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)

should take note of the ruling that auction is not the only

method for allocating natural resources."I sincerely hope that all constitutional authorities in

future will bear in mind (the observations of apex court)

while discharging their constitutional functions", Finance

Minister P Chidambaram said here, while explaining the

importance of ruling along with Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal

and Law Minister Salman Khurshid.Chidambaram said this in response to a question whether

the Supreme Court's opinion on Presidential reference

vindicated the stand of the government on 2G and coal blocks

allocation controversy. The CAG in its reports had observed

that faulty allocation of spectrum and coal blocks had cost a

big loss to the exchequer.Giving its opinion on the Presidential reference arising

out of 2G verdict, a five-judge constitution bench of the apex

court yesterday held that auction was not the only method

for allocating natural resources to private companies.The court observed that common good was the touchstone

for any policy and any means adopted to achieve the objective

was in accordance with the constitutional principles."The implied benchmark against which loss or presumptive

loss was judged (by CAG) was auction...the Supreme Court says

that auction is not a constitutional mandate for disposing of

natural resources...I think in a way all of us are in a

learning process", Chidambaram said.As regards the irregularities in implementation of the

policies, he said, "we have maintained... that if there were

any irregularities or illegalities in implementation of any

policy, those must be corrected and those responsible be held

to account".