Last Updated on May 2, 2022 at 1:29 pm
In a stern response to lackadaisical attitude of the Jammu and Kashmir departments over inspection reports, Comptroller and Auditor General of India had asked departments to ensure time bound response over reports
CAG has asked J&K administration to ensure regular meetings of Audit Committees to monitor the progress and for strict compliance of the rules and procedures. It is pertinent to mention that the Principal Accountant General (Audit), J&K conducts periodical inspection of the government departments to verify various records. After that Inspection Reports (IRs) are issued to the Heads of the offices inspected with copies to the next higher authorities for taking corrective steps. The Head of the office is required to take necessary corrective action on the observations contained in the IRs, corrects the errors and report compliance through initial reply to the PAG (Audit) within four weeks from the date of receipt of the IRs. Serious financial irregularities are required to be reported to the Head of the Department and the Government.
But to an utter shock, CAG pointed out that Inspection Reports issued up to December 2019 in respect of State Taxes, State Excise, Motor Vehicle and Law Department disclosed that 5,006 paragraphs relating to 927 IRs, involving Rs 2,266.10 crore remained outstanding at the end of June 2020, as per Daily Excelsior.
“Audit did not receive any replies from the Heads of offices within four weeks from the date of issue of all the 82 IRs issued during 2019-20. This large pendency of the IRs due to non-receipt of the replies is indicative of the fact that the Heads of offices and the Departments did not initiate action to rectify the defects, omissions and irregularities pointed out by the PAG (Audit) through the IRs”, the CAG said.
The CAG getting strict at government has suggested that government should advise the concerned departments to hold Audit Committee meetings frequently at least three meetings in a quarter to monitor the progress of settlement of paragraphs and also ensure that demands/recoveries are addressed in time.
