Letters: Ambit of audit | Business Standard
Letters: Ambit of audit | Business Standard
Ambit of audit
This refers to the report “CAG gears up to audit books of Delhi discoms, 5 private telcoms”(January 7). Article 149 of the Constitution mentions inter alia that “ The CAG shall perform such duties and exercise such powers in relation to the accounts of the Union and of the States and of any other authority or body as may be prescribed by or under any law made by Parliament…”. Perhaps those who drafted Indian Constitution might not have foreseen the kind of scrutiny now being necessitated by vanishing accountability on the part of ‘public servants’ who handle public funds. If the cardinal principle of financial management that sources and uses of funds should be subject to prudent accounting when money is collected from public is still valid, contesting the right to audit by those vested with that responsibility doesn’t stand reason. What baffles common man is the resistance to transparency in accounting, whether it is gold or money or any other assets. If some quarters are comfortable with ‘private’ audit, allow the audit be regulated by CAG or any other authority which is acceptable to government.
M G Warrier, Thiruvananthapuram
Comments