Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India an asset for the country and said audits are no longer seen with doubt but as important tools for value addition to governance. He said CAG’s reports and data will “dictate the history” and provide a roadmap for future governance.
“There was a time when the audit was seen with suspicion and dread. CAG versus government had become a common belief and babus (government officials) used to think that CAG finds faults in everything,” he said in his address to a gathering marking the first Audit Diwas to highlight the CAG’s contributions.
He added the mindset has changed. “Today, the audit is seen as an important part of value addition. 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.”
Modi said while most institutions lose their relevance in three-four decades, CAG has become stronger and more mature with time. “...it is an asset, a heritage for the country. CAG is an institution that has grown in importance and has created a legacy with the passage of time. Every generation needs to cherish it and make it useful for other generations.”
The PM cited the banking sector while taking potshots at previous governments. “Due to the 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.”
{{/usCountry}}The PM cited the banking sector while taking potshots at previous governments. “Due to the 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.”
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He also said fairness and transparency play a key role in personal and professional lives. “Only when we identify the problem, we can find a solution to it.” He added they have taken CAG’s concerns positively and took decisions to monetise unused and underused elements. “And these decisions are now showing results in the growing economy.”
Modi said there was less government interference. “Today, we are making such a system in which the thinking of ‘Sarkar Sarvam’ ie the interference of the government is decreasing, and your work is also getting easier. Steps like contact-less customs, automatic renewals, faceless assessments, online applications for service delivery, etc have ended unnecessary interference of the government.”
He lauded the CAG for use of geospatial data and remote sensing in audit mechanisms. “The stronger and scientific the auditing, the stronger our system will be.”
PM said earlier the 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 said.
Modi also unveiled a statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at the CAG headquarters.