Nagaland Legislative Assembly Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Mhathung Yanthan attended the two-day All-India Conference of PAC Chairpersons held in Thiruvananthapuram, Keralam, on November 3 and 4.
Yanthan was accompanied by the NLA Secretary and a PAC officer. Inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, the conference was held on the theme “Audit, Accountability and Good Governance: The Evolving Role of the PAC” and attended by 25 PAC chairpersons and representatives from 27 states.
Birla released the conference souvenir, which carried an article by Yanthan titled “The Public Accounts Committee: Strengthening Legislative Oversight for Better Governance: Reflections from Nagaland”. The article highlighted the PAC’s role in ensuring accountability in public spending, challenges faced by the Nagaland PAC and the need for timely examination of CAG reports, digital monitoring and capacity building.
Participating in the plenary discussions, Yanthan stressed the importance of strengthening legislative oversight and ensuring timely submission of CAG reports and accountability in the use of public funds. He said the conference’s learnings on digital monitoring and time-bound disposal of audit observations would help improve the functioning of the Nagaland PAC.
The conference unanimously adopted the Keralam Resolution, recommending digital monitoring systems, standard timelines for government responses to audit observations, stronger PAC secretariats and closer collaboration with the Comptroller and Auditor General. It also called for regular sittings and sub-committees to clear pending audit observations.