CAG clarifies none of its officials asked to go in quarantine

The office of Comptroller and Auditor General of India has said that neither CAG nor its official has been asked to go in quarantine and the contents of news story captioned 'PAC Chairman, members, CAG in quarantine after Additional Director tests positive for COVID-19' are "not factually correct with regard to CAG".

A news story earlier this week had said that as many as 17 MPs including Chairman of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, CAG, Deputy CAG along with staff present in the PAC meeting of July 10 have been asked to quarantine themselves after an Additional Director of PAC tested positive for coronavirus.

A communication from the office of CAG said, "Keeping the fleeting nature of contact, if any, of the COVID positive official of the PAC with the CAG and his colleagues, such quarantine is also not necessary", as per the guidelines issued by Health Ministry of June 4.

It said that Deputy CAG ta Pattanayak was not at present in the PAC meeting.

"The story which claims that CAG has been asked to quarantine is not only factually incorrect and misleading, it also creates unnecessary doubts and disturbance in other officials working in the CAG office," the communication said.

The PAC meeting was held on Friday.

( With inputs from ANI )