Kalam backs online audit system

President APJ Abdul Kalam has said the CAG should consider adopting a mutually agreed online audit system for projects of national importance such as rural employment schemes...

President APJ Abdul Kalam has said the CAG should consider adopting a mutually agreed online audit system for projects of national importance such as rural employment schemes, the golden quadrilateral and large power plants. He said the audit should be aimed at detecting deviations in ongoing projects in near real time and provide constructive solutions.

“When you audit after the function is over, it becomes history. Very few will appreciate suggestions to incorporate in the next project,” said the President in his address to members of CAG’s Audit Advisory Board here today. He added that the availability of technological tools can enable CAG to go for e-audit of ongoing projects, which unlike post-project audit, would enable the project implementers to take note of deviations and correct it mid-way.

Kalam also suggested that since the Constitution does not specify at what juncture of the programme or the project CAG should audit, the CAG to take up “online non-intrusive e-audit” so that audit could be done on a regular basis. Expressing concern over unspent money in various schemes, the President also asked the CAG to identify reasons and bottlenecks for non-utilisation of funds.

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Citing an example of the reported cases of corruption and irregularities in implementation of the Union Government’s flagship scheme NREG, Kalam asked the Comptroller and Auditor General to chip in to make the programme more transparent.

Reacting to the President’s remarks, Rural Development Minister Dr Raghuvansh Prasad Singh told The Indian Express that he has already approached CAG to audit the implementation of NREG in various parts of the country.