With the laying of Administrative Reports of the various departments of the Government of Nagaland in the just concluded first session of the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly, many interesting information will be revealed which we hopefully will be reading in the state newspapers very soon. If the past years are any indication, our state newspapers will be carrying the reports for days on end reproducing the reports. What is always more interesting than others is the Comptroller and Auditor General of India’s report. Every year, the CAG report reveals interesting but unsavory reports, ranging from anomalies to downright corrupt practices. The CAG reports always contain findings and recommendations as well as detection of anomalies.

 

The CAG is empowered by the Constitution to audit all receipts and expenditure of the Government of India and the State Governments, including those of autonomous bodies and corporations substantially financed by the Government. The mission of the CAG is to promote good governance through high quality auditing and accounting. The CAG is responsible for, among other things, ensuring that the expenditure of public money has been properly authorized and applied for the intended purposes. It should also ensure that economy, efficiency and effectiveness have been achieved in the use of public resources. The CAG brings out audit discrepancies in the funds allocated and used, and identifies discrepancies so that they can be rectified and public welfare and good governance are not hampered.

 

Often, in Nagaland, CAG reports are laden with cases of financial irregularities and fund misappropriation by the various departments, losses and thefts. Unfortunately, these reports do not go any farther than being published in the state newspapers. By law, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is supposed to take up the CAG reports for examination and discussion. However, the PAC members are members of the legislative assembly and when there is no opposition in the Assembly, as it is in Nagaland, the very purpose of laying the CAG reports or the role of PAC are compromised.

 

Judging by the trend over the years, the CAG report this year will surely contain detection of financial discrepancies and misappropriation running to the tune of hundreds of crores of rupees. Still, there will be no action taken on the reports, no persecution of the culprits involved and the state newspapers will forget about it. And there is no opposition in the Assembly to ask difficult questions. And the civil society organizations and the general public will remain largely ignorant about it.

 

The CAG reports are not accorded the attention they deserve. It appears the departments of which the anomalies are detected are not even bothered because there is no precedent of any action taken on the report to deter the departments from committing financial misappropriation. The only possible way forward, given the circumstances in Nagaland, in making the CAG reports effective is for some individuals or groups to take it upon themselves to ask the questions.

 

Mokokchung Times

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