‘Lot of work pending in decentralising subjects and departments of ministries’: CAG Murmu

“In many countries, local bodies are very important. In fact, in a city like New York, the mayor is the most important person after the governor…. However, despite the 73rd and 74th amendments to the Indian Constitution, a lot of work is pending in decentralising the subjects, departments of ministries,” Murmu said.

The 73rd and 74th amendments, which came into force in 1993, respectively, provide legal framework for Panchayati Raj Institutions like village panchayats, taluka panchayats and district panchayat, and urban local bodies like municipalities and municipal corporations.

The CAG said that these local bodies, which take governance to the grassroots, need to be strengthened by better reinforcing transparency and accountability via proper auditing of their accounts and performance. He said iCAL will contribute to that goal.

“Certain developed countries in the West have established their own systems of local bodies, which are doing well. But many countries in the West, as well as in other parts of the world, don’t have that efficient system. As chair of the knowledge sharing and knowledge services committee of INTOSAI (International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions), the supreme audit institution of India is taking the leadership of the global south, and iCAL will go a long way in this respect,” Murmu said on the sidelines of the event.

Murmu said that CAG is helping several countries in the global south and some less developed countries in the West in their auditing operations. He said that iCAL will be a centre of excellence that will not only train auditors and offices of local bodies in India but also around the world and will also function as a platform for sharing knowledge and international best practices in this field.

iCAL will function out of the office building of the principal accountant general in Rajkot, and Murmu said plans have been drawn to construct a separate building for conducting training classes and lodging and boarding facilities for trainees.

iCAL is the third international centre to be set up by CAG. Murmu said the CAG’s International Centre for Information Systems and Audits in Noida has already trained more than 6,000 trainees from various countries in information technology auditing. Similarly CAG’s International Centre for Environment Audit and Sustainable Development is providing training for auditing issues related to environment and sustainable development.