At PAC conference, Satheesan spotlights audit reports ‘out of constitutional purview’

Keralam chief minister VD Satheesan on Tuesday called for a serious discussion on how the legislature’s audit watchdog, the Public Accounts Committee, should handle findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) that fall “out of the constitutional audit purview through misconception in the audit approach”.Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla lights the lamp to inaugurate the two-day conference of chairpersons of Public Accounts Committees (PAC) of Parliament and state/UT legislatures, in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. Keralam chief minister VD Satheesan, Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh, Congress general secretary and PAC chairperson KC Venugopal were also present. (@ombirlakota X/ANI Photo) (@ombirlakota X)“The CAG’s audit approach sometimes shifts its manner; that defeats the very purpose of the audit. The question is, how Public Accounts Committee could approach such audit findings?” the chief minister said, referring to the 2G spectrum audit report in 2010 and the Vizhinjam International Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport Project’s report in 2017.Speaking at the national conference of chairpersons of PACs chaired by Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla in Thiruvananthapuram, the chief minister said, “Thus, we should have a serious discussion on the way the PAC could treat those audit findings which happen to be out of the constitutional audit purview, through misconception in the audit approach”.Satheesan also pointed to the January 2021 instance of the Kerala assembly passing a resolution to bar the PAC from scrutinising the CAG’s findings on the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), saying this “disrupted” the normal parliamentary process. “I would like to have your attention to the scenario of curtailing the powers of Public Accounts Committee through a majority in the House”.Congress MP KC Venugopal, who heads parliament’s PAC, said more audits were required to focus on “more important issues” and the legislature should discuss at least one PAC report every year.“It is increasingly being felt that CAG needs to increase the number of audits and focus more on important problems of the government such as Poshan Abhiyan, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, Sawchh Bharat Mission, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana as also those schemes which subsumed earlier schemes for being constructed. This should also include Jal Jeevan Mission, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, etc. Moreover, I see a large number of audit reports being brought out on the defence and railway sectors whereas almost half the number of reports are being brought out on health, home affairs, education and external Affairs in the last six years,” he said.“Even sectors like Textile, food, MSME, all these have great potential to provide employment to our youth and need to be audited with a view to streamline their functioning,” he said.Venugopal also sought stricter rules for the government officials to attend the meetings of the PAC and pointed out that during a recent meeting, none of the six chief secretaries summoned by the parliamentary panel turned up.In his inaugural address, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said, “In a democracy, the government operates based on the trust of the people and utilizes public resources for the nation’s development. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that public funds are used for approved purposes, in accordance with due process, and with full accountability.”“The examination of matters related to government expenditure, public schemes, the functioning of departments, and administrative processes has a direct bearing on the facilities and services available to citizens. Issues raised by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC)—such as the operation of Anganwadi centres or the quality of catering services on the railways—serve as examples of this,” Birla added.