The office of the Comptroller Auditor General (CAG) of India has issued a cautionary letter to Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University after reports emerged suggesting that an audit by the CAG found the university paid Rs 61 lakh for a vehicle used by 2001 batch IAS officer of Telangana cadre, Ms Smita Sabharwal. The CAG has denied conducting such an audit and raised concerns about the leak of this information.
The media reports, published on March 18, 2025, claimed that the university paid bills for a vehicle used by Smita Sabharwal for seven years, from October 2016 to March 2024. The payment amounted to around Rs 61 lakh, with a monthly bill of Rs 63,000. According to the reports, the vehicle was used by Sabharwal during her tenure as additional secretary in the Chief Minister’s office, under K Chandrashekar Rao. The audit, as per the media, flagged the payments as violations of norms.
However, in a strong response, the CAG office clarified that it had not conducted any audit related to this vehicle. The CAG’s cautionary letter to the university questioned the legitimacy of the audit, asking why such sensitive information was disclosed, as audit reports are typically not made public until they are presented in Parliament. The CAG demanded clarification on why its name had been used in the media reports, and asked the university to share the audit report if one indeed existed.
The university had previously conducted an internal audit concerning vehicles used by private individuals, but the vehicle in question was not included in the list. Sources within the CAG revealed that while the CAG did perform an audit on the university’s functioning, it did not involve an investigation into the vehicle. The CAG’s investigation focused on the university’s performance, particularly why its rank had dropped. The office also emphasized that any information from audits conducted at the local level should not be disclosed prematurely, labeling the release of such information as a leak.
The office of Smita Sabharwal has refuted the claims, confirming that the vehicle was used for official purposes and was returned after completion of the duties. No formal notice has been received from the university, contrary to reports.
The controversy highlights the importance of maintaining confidentiality in audit processes and the risks associated with the leakage of sensitive information to the media.
