Trivalizing CAG findings

CAG Observations and findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India are under the consideration of the Public Accounts Committee of the State Legislature. There are some significant observations in the report of the CAG and it becomes the duty of the Public Accounts Committee to seek clarification to these from the government. The main observation is that the Government Departments have adopted casual and lackadaisical attitude towards many observations/ suggestions and irregularities made by the CAG. The departments have failed to bring about a reform or change in various irregularities detected.  Departments adopting casual attitude to the CAG observations is not at all a healthy sign nor does it contribute to good governance.
It is important that constitutional and administrative status of the CAG is respected.  A wrong impression lurking in the mind of administrative departments is that CAG is a hostile institution and has the mandate of finding only faults with the government. Such impressions need to be dispelled. CAG is an important component of an elaborate governance structure. In essence the CAG aims at ensuring accountability, transparency and good governance. There is the need of monitoring the performance of various branches and segments of administration so that transparency and accountability are ensured. Departments have to give an account of their performance and achievements.  Each major decision has to be evaluated and examined to know to what extent development has been made.
Adopting lackadaisical attitude goes against the rules. Collectively, the government is answerable to the people through their elected representatives, the MLAs. Not responding and reacting to the observations of the CAG means that the departments concerned are not showing due respect to the legislative assembly. If this negative attitude is allowed to pervade, the entire administrative structure will fall apart. The schemes and projects entrusted to departments are what the people of the State want. Funds for planning are provided by the tax payers. Therefore it is the right of the tax payer to know where his money has gone. If this information is denied to the tax payer, it means failure of democratic performance.
The Committee has observed that replies received to some of the observations of the CAG are either incomplete or evasive and off the mark. Perhaps the departments are unwilling to provide full information and thus not interested in transparency. In yet another paragraph, the Committee has noted that the departments fail to submit the Action Taken Report (ATR) which is obligatory for the completion of report on the project. Next installments of funds cannot be released in absence of ATR.
Observations of the PAC amply reveal serious lacuna in the synergy between the administration and its response to the CAG report. Now that the Legislature is directly handling the matter, a clear cut message has to flow from the House to the Government that the culture of trivializing the report of the CAG has to be replaced by responsible approach to the audit paragraphs as a matter of streamlining the process of good governance, transparency and accountability. The PAC is very right in recommending that the Chief Secretary should take up the issue of ensuring clear and quick response of the departments to the observations/suggestions of the CAG.

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