Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Apr 19: After failing to present the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report in the budget session, the Jammu and Kashmir government has been told to ensure that CAG report is placed in the next assembly session.
The government did not present the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report in the budget session held in January this year in Jammu.
However, the centre has taken a serious note and has directed the state government to ensure that CAG report is presented before the assembly session, likely to be held in July or August in Srinagar.
"The Union Finance Ministry has also asked the JK government to present the report in the next assembly session and has expressed unhappiness," an official said.
The official said that non-tabling of the report raised queries that government wanted to "hide" its failures. "If government has nothing to hide then why the report was not presented," the official said.
The official said that legislators and media persons were waiting for the CAG report. "But the Speaker adjourned the house sine die, which saved the government from the criticism of opposition for not tabling the report," the official said.
CAG has to gauge the progress of developmental projects and their impact on the masses of people. It has to identify the hurdles in the way of implementation of projects, which can be technical, financial, administrative or circumstantial.
In December last year, Governor N N Vohra asked the state government to constitute a high-level committee to ensure "time-bound action" on the findings of the CAG on the functioning of the government departments.
Accountant General (Audit) also raised the issue with the Governor that departments were not acting on the findings of CAG report.
"CAG has already raised various issues pertaining to the functioning of various departments but have not been addressed by the government," sources said.
The official said that it is "mandatory" for the government to present the CAG report in the assembly. "In the previous years, the CAG report was being presented in the assembly," he said.
On February 8, Minister of State for Finance Ajay Nanda tabled a copy of 'Finance Accounts (Volume I) and (Volume II) for 2016-2017'. He also tabled a copy of Appropriate Accounts 2016-2017, Accounts at a Glance for 2016-17 and Annual Technical Inspection Report on Urban Local Bodies for the year ending March 31, 2016, in the Legislative Assembly. |
