NEW DELHI: The CAG’s audit report on the Rs 59,000 crore Rafale jet deal has missed its deadline for tabling in the Parliament’s Monsoon session as, sources say, it is still in the ‘draft stage’ and may be finalised not before the Winter session in December.

The government’s official auditor, Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), has, however, submitted more than eight reports, including five compliance audits on Defence services , for their tabling in the ongoing Monsoon session.

Besides compliance audit on Army, Air Force, Navy and Defence public sector undertakings, the other reports submitted to the government includes a performance audit report on the Prime Minister’s Swasthya Suraksha Yojana; one on the national rural drinking water programme and two on Railways.

The CAG had earlier set a target of completing the Rafale report before the Monsoon session. However, sources said the auditor has enlarged the scope of its audit and is looking into all aspects of the deal such as the “increase in deliverables” as per the fresh government-to-government pact signed by the NDA government vis-à-vis the deal negotiated by the UPA regime.

TOI had earlier reported, based on government briefings, that the NDA’s Rafale deal was worth 7.878 billion Euros (Rs 59,000 crore). The cost of 36 fighters was 3.402 billion Euros (Rs 25,570 crore), each jet costing Rs 670-710 crore. In addition, associated supplies would cost 1.8 billion Euros (Rs 13,530 crore) and India-specific enhancements at 1.7 billion Euros (Rs 12,780 crore). The performance based logistics was estimated at 353 million Euros (Rs 2,650 crore) and weapons package at 710 million (Rs 5,340 crore).

The big-ticket Rafael deal with France has hogged much of the Opposition discourse during the last Budget session of Parliament as well as in the current Monsoon session. The Congress has demanded that the government disclose item-wise details of Rs 59,000 crore contract for acquisition and maintenance of the fighter aircrafts.

The government-to-government Rafael deal, signed on September 23, 2016, was for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter planes in fly away condition along with weaponry and maintenance contract. The 50% offset contract in India given to private parties has also attracted allegation of favoritism to select industrialist and can be the subject matter of the audit.

