The quandary about inspections, audits and appraisal reports in Jammu and Kashmir State appears ipso-facto, just to defer, if not totally ignore, the action to be taken and irregularities of minor nature set right and of sensitive nature to be inquired into and accountability fixed . ‘Excelsior’ has on numerous occasions, laid stress on this cardinal fact of maintaining of what we call ‘checks and balances’ and accord top priority to audits, inspections and similar exercises. Comptroller and Auditoir General (CAG) of India is not an ordinary functionary but a constitutional entity that is primarily entrusted with the responsibility to audit the accounts and related activities of the Government, autonomous bodies, State owned public sector commercial enterprises and any institution or department financed by State, Central Governments etc.
Having said so, any of its findings must be reciprocated with timely submission of a proper and cogent Action Taken Report. The implementation of National Rural Drinking Water Programme in this State being in complete disarray and Comptroller and Auditor General of India has found many lacunae and irregularities and noted in details the same in its report. The State Government has not reportedly sent the Action Taken Report (ATR) on the findings of the CAG to Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.
Since the findings of the CAG have , by practice and procedure, to be tabled in the Parliament, the matter assumes significance and it is really a matter of utter surprise that the mandatory ATR is not sent to the concerned Ministry. It is fairly known that lot of emphasis is laid in the present era on performance which signifies that performance audit cannot be afforded to be taken lightly. When the shortcomings are spread over as many as 34 paragraphs in respect of Jammu and Kashmir State in the consolidated concerned report tabled in the Parliament, it is no ordinary calling on the carpet but is tantamount to a censure needing immediate action plan or rectification process . The beauty of the CAG report is not only in pinpointing flaws, shortcomings, irregularities and lapses but suggestions and recommendations also in order to overcome the areas of deficiencies so that the intended objectives could be met. It is rueing that the highest audit institution should be disregarded by not attending to its findings on priority and for that, the concerned Union Ministry should sound the State Government in writing.
The query about the entire issue could even possibly be as to whether the concerned authorities have, in fact, gone through the said report or not and whether there existed a system , and if one existed, whether that was followed meticulously, in respect of a definite time span of days or weeks during which action was to be taken on the glaring instances of non performance and non implementation or faulty or flawed implantation of the flagship programme under reference or otherwise in other cases. Had that procedure been in vogue , non submission of the ATR, after rectifying the pinpointed shortcomings or absence of both, would have been accounted for and sleeping over the matter would have administratively been viewed seriously calling for suitable action. It looks all the more astounding that even communiqués and reminders from the Union Ministry in the subject matter should result in non compliance with the statutory requirements. The question remains as to who would enforce compliance.
Follow our WhatsApp channel