Changing negative image of audit must: Chief Minister Chouhan
Monday - November 22, 2021 10:22 pm ,
Category : BHOPAL
Keeping an auditor with you is in line with the spirit of Sant Kabir’s ‘Nindak niyare rakhiye’
Audit Para and Auditor’s suggestions are lessons of good governance
Audit Day celebrated for the first time on November 16, 2021 on PM Modi’s the initiative
Auditors are friends, complements and allies of the government
Purity, transparency and economy are essential in spending government money
Sarpanch of Barkhedi Abdullah village Sushri Bhakti Sharma is member of State Audit Advisory Board
Auditors should adapt themselves to new techniques and practices
CM Chouhan addresses seminar on ‘Role of Audit in reforming governance’
Audit Awareness Week Programme held in Minto Hall
Bhopal 22 November 2021: Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that it is necessary to change the negative image of audit. Auditors scrutinize the accounts of the government while being actually alert, cautious and vigilant. Auditors are helpful to the government in preventing unnecessary expenditure. Audit para and their suggestions are the lessons of good governance. Chief Minister Chouhan was addressing the inaugural session of the one-day ‘Role of Audit in Reforming Governance’ seminar at Minto Hall, Bhopal under Audit Awareness Week.
Chief Minister Chouhan said that governments organize various types of days like Environment Day, Sports Day, Teacher’s Day etc. in the country, but it is an irony that we have not specially organized any day focused on audit. It is because of the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he started efforts in this direction to eradicate the negative image of audit institutions. Audit Day was celebrated for the first time in the country on November 16, 2021 under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. The Chief Minister congratulated all the audit institutions and the officers and employees working in them. Chief Minister Chouhan said that the history of audit in India is more than 160 years old. The CAG institution, in the form of a constitutional body has played a significant role in making the accounts of the government more and more transparent and accountable.
Chief Minister Chouhan said that there was a time when there would be doubts of different kinds in government departments regarding audit. The auditors were known to be people who looked for loopholes in everything, blaming the government, who ask unnecessary questions, and intimidators who showed even a small mistake in bad light o scare people. Chief Minister Chouhan said that there is a need to understand the importance of CAG institution. Keeping CAG’s dutifulness and loyalty to the Constitution, there is a need to see it as a friend, complement and ally of the government. Any democracy can function strongly only when its three organs, the legislature, the executive and the judiciary, discharge their respective responsibilities with coordination and balance. The contribution of CAG in this work is noteworthy.
Chief Minister Chouhan said that the role of CAG is very important because he always remains alert, cautious and vigilant. Auditors have their own impartial and independent opinion on every issue. They scrutinize the accounts of the government carefully. They play a supporting role like the ENT of Public Accounts, Public Undertakings and Estimates Committee of the House. They ensure adherence to principles of fairness, transparency and economy in the expenditure of government money. Auditors help the government to prevent wasteful expenditure.
Chief Minister Chouhan said that auditors are allies of the government. In the state, the Principal Accountant General is meeting the principal secretaries of all the departments, heads of offices, district collectors, public representatives etc. to determine the subjects and areas in relation to the audit action plan. This is certainly a commendable initiative. Chief Minister Chouhan informed that the woman sarpanch of Barkhedi Abdullah village in Bhopal district, Sushri Bhakti Sharma, has got the distinction of becoming a member of the State Audit Advisory Board.
Referring to Sant Kabir’s couplet “Nindak Niyare Raakhiye – Aangan Kuti Chhabay, Bin Pani Bin Sabuna Nirmal Kare Subhay”, the Chief Minister said that auditors cooperate with us by evaluating the works of the government independently and impartially. They also tell us where the work needs improvement. Therefore, we should always keep them close to us as good critics and well-wishers.
Chief Minister Chouhan said that after studying the auditor reports, serious action should be taken on the issues raised therein and time bound action should be taken. It is necessary to ensure that the pending audit paragraphs are resolved in time. It should be ensured that whatever records are called for audit are made available without any delay. Chief Minister Chouhan said that the auditors should also try to adapt themselves according to the new techniques and methods of governance.
Principal Accountant General D. Sahu also addressed the seminar. Chairman of Estimates Committee, former Minister Rampal Singh, Chairman of Public Undertakings Committee, former Minister Gauri Shankar Bisen, Chairman of Public Accounts Committee and former Minister P.C. Sharma was present.
The one day seminar included five sessions. These sessions discussed the status of audit reports of the last three years, strategies to enhance the effectiveness of various committees, role of audit in enhancing the effectiveness of innovations being undertaken by the departments, empowering local bodies for good governance, health services in Covid-19 Discussions were held on the role of audit and improvement in service delivery and the role of state government PSUs – Window to News
