SC seeks Centre’s reply on PIL challenging CAG appointment procedure

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Centre’s response on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the existing procedure for appointing the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India. The petition argues that the current practice, where the executive and the prime minister solely make the appointment, violates the Constitution.

A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh issued a notice to the Centre on the PIL filed by the NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation and tagged it with a pending case on the same issue.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the NGO, contended that the matter concerns the independence of the CAG, alleging that audits in states governed by the BJP, such as Maharashtra, are being obstructed.

The petition seeks a Supreme Court directive mandating that the CAG be appointed by the President in consultation with an independent and neutral selection committee, comprising the prime minister, the leader of the opposition (LoP), and the chief justice of India. It also calls for a transparent appointment process similar to that of other institutions, including the Information Commissions and the Central Vigilance Commission.

With PTI inputs