The Office of the Accountant General (Audit), Chhattisgarh, organized a high-level discussion on Tuesday titled “Strengthening the Impact of Audit for Good Governance”, emphasizing the critical role of active stakeholder participation in the audit process. The event brought together top officials, legislators, and audit authorities to deliberate on enhancing transparency, accountability, and efficiency in public administration.

Key attendees included Shri Amar Agrawal, Chairman of the Committee on Public Undertakings; Shri Dharamlal Kaushik, Chairman of the Local Bodies and Panchayati Raj Accounts Committee; Chief Secretary Shri Amitabh Jain; and other senior departmental secretaries from the Chhattisgarh Government. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) was represented by Ms. Reema Prakash, Additional Deputy CAG (Central Region), and Ms. Rashmi Aggrawal, Director General. Shri Yashwant Kumar, Principal Accountant General (A&E), and Mohd. Faizan Nayyar, Accountant General (Audit), Chhattisgarh, were also present.

The discussion was inaugurated by Ms. Reema Prakash, Additional Deputy CAG (Central Region), who highlighted the initiative as a significant step towards implementing the Stakeholders Engagement Framework under CAG guidance. She emphasized that the framework seeks to move beyond traditional audit practices by fostering a cooperative relationship with all stakeholders, including legislative committees and external experts. Ms. Prakash stressed that a systematic, transparent, and inclusive audit cycle—from planning to final reporting—is essential to enhance mutual understanding, ensure timely availability of records, and strengthen the overall impact of audits on governance and accountability.

Chief Secretary Shri Amitabh Jain underscored the importance of audit reports in identifying gaps in the implementation and monitoring of government schemes. He emphasized that timely action on audit findings by the legislature and administrative departments is critical to building public trust. Highlighting the need for constructive dialogue between auditors and departments, he recommended incorporating Central Government performance indicators to facilitate comparative assessment across departments and institutions. Shri Jain also stressed focusing not only on expenditure but also on revenue generation and prevention of leakages.

Shri Dharamlal Kaushik called for the adoption of standardized accounting systems and transparent financial reporting by local bodies to support comprehensive grassroots development. He urged timely review of pending audit reports by legislative committees and emphasized stronger coordination between administrative departments and the Accountant General’s office.

Shri Amar Agrawal, Chairman of the Committee on Public Undertakings, stressed the need for innovation in public enterprises, modern corporate governance practices, and enhanced digital monitoring. He highlighted that many audit objections reach the legislature late due to delayed responses from administrative departments, leading to a backlog of pending audit paras and delayed corrective actions. He called for improved coordination among public undertakings, administrative departments, and CAG to safeguard public interest.

Senior Deputy Accountant General (Administration), Ms. Priyati Kawdo, provided a detailed overview of the audit process and stakeholder interaction methods, explaining how active involvement ensures effective audit completion.

In his concluding remarks, Mohd. Faizan Nayyar described the initiative as highly meaningful and successful. He noted that the discussion not only reaffirmed the importance of audits but also explored ways for stakeholders to complement each other in pursuit of good governance. He acknowledged the valuable suggestions offered and highlighted areas needing improved dialogue to make audit reports more relevant, actionable, and impactful.

Deputy Accountant General Shri Nitin Puke extended gratitude to all participants for their active engagement, emphasizing that such collaborative discussions are crucial to strengthening governance, accountability, and public trust.

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RDJ

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