A multi-member CAG in future?
14 Nov 2012 3:35 AM IST
The news that the prime minister’s office has suggested that the office of the Comtroller and Auditor General be expanded is not surprising in view of the fact that the present government has been at the receiving end of the CAG’s stick. However, any drastic changes in the structure of government bodies should be thought through carefully before being implemented. They should definitely not be made out of political compulsions, which seems to be the present case in view of the recent scams in government. That said, there are facts about the audit department of the government which some people may not easily understand. While the CAG plays an important role in government, it is not the only organ of it. Besides, the CAG has a quasi-governmental role, and one which once upon a time was largely limited to the maintenance of the accounts of the government. This in itself, at that time was considered a check on the financial impropriety in government. The various cases of corruption at that time forced the government to make changes in the structure of the CAG’s office.
These have not always worked in the favour of probity in government and may have, in fact, caused an imbalance in the system. The numerous accounts services now created often work at cross-purposes and are a huge financial drain on the government though this is not to suggest that these bodies should be disbanded. It has now largely been forgotten that an important function of the CAG was to monitor those who kept accounts which ensured probity. What is possibly happening now is that those who maintain accounts are not being scrutinised by the CAG. This anomaly is causing distortions in government spending because unscrupulous persons take advantage of is. The CAG is not the final authority on the financial issues that face the government and while it may not be entirely proper for the auditor to review the policy measures, he does have an important role to play. Any dilution in his powers now should be carefully thought through. India’s experience with multi-member commissions such as that of the Election Commission has not been too happy. It is, in fact, the duty of the members of Parliament to freely debate the issues raised by the CAG which is not happening these days because of the fault of both the opposition and the government. All these bodies are expected to function within the parameters of the Constitution, which has laid down a well-defined role for the CAG as well. This is a reason why the office of the CAG, while not sacrosanct, should not be interfered with needlessly.
These have not always worked in the favour of probity in government and may have, in fact, caused an imbalance in the system. The numerous accounts services now created often work at cross-purposes and are a huge financial drain on the government though this is not to suggest that these bodies should be disbanded. It has now largely been forgotten that an important function of the CAG was to monitor those who kept accounts which ensured probity. What is possibly happening now is that those who maintain accounts are not being scrutinised by the CAG. This anomaly is causing distortions in government spending because unscrupulous persons take advantage of is. The CAG is not the final authority on the financial issues that face the government and while it may not be entirely proper for the auditor to review the policy measures, he does have an important role to play. Any dilution in his powers now should be carefully thought through. India’s experience with multi-member commissions such as that of the Election Commission has not been too happy. It is, in fact, the duty of the members of Parliament to freely debate the issues raised by the CAG which is not happening these days because of the fault of both the opposition and the government. All these bodies are expected to function within the parameters of the Constitution, which has laid down a well-defined role for the CAG as well. This is a reason why the office of the CAG, while not sacrosanct, should not be interfered with needlessly.
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