There was a time when auditing was seen with suspicion and fear but that mindset has changed as they are now seen as important tools for value addition to governance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday.
The mindset of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Vs Government has changed and they are no longer viewed as adversarial to the government and bureaucrats, he added.
“There was a time when auditing was seen with suspicion and dread. CAG Vs Government had become a common belief and babus (government officials) used to think that CAG finds faults in everything. However, this mindset has changed. Today, the audit is seen as an important part of value addition,” the Prime Minister, who was speaking at an event organised by the CAG to mark the first edition of ‘Audit Diwas’, said.
“While analysing the government’s work, the CAG has an outsider’s viewpoint and we make systematic improvements with what you (CAG) tell us. We see it as cooperation in the long term,” he added.
Modi also stressed on the importance of data and reports compiled by the CAG, saying that it will “dictate history” in the future and provide a roadmap for governance to future governments.
{{/usCountry}}Modi also stressed on the importance of data and reports compiled by the CAG, saying that it will “dictate history” in the future and provide a roadmap for governance to future governments.
{{/usCountry}}“Earlier, information was transmitted through stories. History was written through stories. But today in the 21st century, data is information, and in the coming times, our history will also be seen and understood through data. In the future, data will dictate history,” he added.
Citing an example of the banking sector, the Prime Minister took potshots at previous governments for not being transparent in their work culture.
“Due to lack of transparency in the country’s banking sector earlier, various practices used to take place. As a result, the non-performing assets (NPAs) kept rising. The NPAs were brushed under the carpet. But we brought out the truth of previous governments before the country with complete honesty. Fairness and transparency play a key role in our personal and professional lives. Only when we identify the problem, can we find a solution to it,” he said.
Modi said the government has made reforms to boost transparency and easy functioning.
“We took your (CAG’s) concerns positively and made decisions to monetise unused and underused elements. And these decisions are now showing results in the growing economy,” he added.
Modi emphasised that reforms like online applications for contactless customs, automatic renewals, faceless assessments and service delivery have ended the unnecessary interference of the government.
“Today, we are making such a system in which the idea of ‘Sarkar Sarvam’, i.e interference of the government, is decreasing and your work is also getting easier,” he said.
Lauding the CAG for use of geo-spatial data and remote sensing in audit mechanisms, Modi said: “The stronger and scientific the auditing will be, the stronger our system will be.”
“While most institutions lose their relevance in three-four decades, the CAG has become stronger, more mature with time and we can say that it is an asset, a heritage for the country. The CAG is an institution that has grown in importance and has created a legacy with passage of time. Every generation needs to cherish it and make it useful for other generations,” he said.
Speaking at the event, CAG G C Murmu said the federal auditor was developing an audit process management application which will include all audit processes, streams and activities, and shall also serve as the primary system of records for the entire chain of audit.
The Prime Minister also unveiled a statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at the CAG premises.
Audit Diwas is celebrated to mark the historic origins of the institution of CAG and the contribution it has made to the governance, transparency and accountability over the past several years.