Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla calls for Centre-state plan to clear audit observations

Strong monitoring mechanisms will ensure accountability is translated into action, he says

Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan greeting Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla during the conference of PAC chairpersons in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. (Photo | B P Deepu)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday called for a concrete, systematic and time-bound action plan to clear audit observations remaining unresolved for 10, 15 or even 20 years. He said such a delay raised questions about the system’s effectiveness.

Inaugurating the two-day conference of chairpersons of Public Accounts Committees (PACs) of parliament and state legislatures in the state capital, Birla said the Union and state governments must work together to strengthen monitoring, review and follow-up mechanisms. This, he said, would ensure accountability is not merely established on paper but translated into action.

The committees’ responsibility extended beyond scrutiny of accounts and audit findings, Birla said. They must also assess whether public funds delivered the outcomes for which they were allocated. In the case of infrastructure projects, wherever appropriate, committees should visit project sites and examine the quality of work. He also urged PACs to use technology, data analytics and artificial intelligence to analyse expenditure data, detect potential irregularities and monitor audit observations.

Chief Minister V D Satheesan, a former chairperson of the Kerala PAC, called for a special drive to dispose of files pending before PACs across the country, some of them for 20 years. Those found guilty of financial irregularities might have retired or died by then, he said. He also called for a discussion on how PACs should treat audit findings arising from a flawed audit approach.

Chairman of the parliament’s PAC K C Venugopal proposed that at least one PAC report, along with the government’s action taken on it, be discussed in every parliament session.

He also flagged that none of the chief secretaries of six states attended the last meeting of the parliament’s PAC. They were summoned to give oral evidence on pre-matric and post-matric scholarships for Scheduled Caste students. The committee could not examine the shortcomings due to their absence, he said.

The inaugural was addressed by Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha Harivansh; Keralam Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, and K N Balagopal, chairperson, PAC, Keralam Legislative Assembly .