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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and several of his Cabinet colleagues might be upset with the recent reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General. But President Pranab Mukherjee was all praise for the institution and its works.
Inaugurating the 26th conference of the Accountant Generals, the President said he was glad that the CAG’s audit has shifted from routine compliance audit to a more macro perspective in the last several years.
He said while redefining organisational roles and boundaries, all Constitutional authorities need to adhere to calibrated system of checks and balances which forms the bedrock of our governance structures.
“Any attempt by any organ of the State to overreach will unnecessarily lead to dissonance within the system. It is, therefore, necessary that all Constitutional authorities introspect on their respective roles,” the President said.
The President added that the rationale for whatever decisions the Governments take must be empowerment and welfare of people. He said there will be moments in a nation’s life when institutions would appear to be under stress. “But as long as we have faith in our basic democratic values and the supremacy of our people and Parliamentary processes, we shall be able to tide over any crisis that we may face,” he added.
Challenges for CAG
The Public Accounts Committee Chairman, Murli Manohar Joshi, said the challenges before the CAG are growing day by day. Quoting the first prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, Joshi said the CAG is not responsible to the Government and it is open for him to criticise the Government in reports.
“But, now in 2012 after 60 years of Prime Minister Nehru's remarks the respect for the Constitutional provisions, institutions procedures and rules of Parliamentary Conduct has eroded to the extent that the CAG is
being openly criticised both in public and as well as in Parliament by high functionaries of the Government. The authority of the CAG under the Constitution of India has time and again been challenged and motives have been attributed to the performance audits conducted by the CAG,” Joshi added.
CAG is not a cheerleader
CAG Vinod Rai said it had been the endeavour of the audit department to continue to provide constructive suggestions for mid-course corrections in the delivery of Government schemes. “We, however, cannot don the role of cheerleaders,” he added.
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