Having taken the government to task on a range of issues, including the controversial coal block allocation and ultra mega power projects recently, Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India Vinod Rai on Tuesday sought to erase the impression of auditors being seen as adversaries by the government.
“Audit is not an adversary. Neither is it merely a fault finding mechanism. We like to see ourselves as providing an objective and balanced feedback to the government without fear or favour,” he said while addressing the Accountants General Conference here. Coming in the backdrop of stinging criticism of the national auditor on its reports on coal block allocation and 2G spectrum, Rai’s comments are being viewed to restore confidence and trust in the institution of CAG as well as in the mechanism of audit.
Addressing the conference, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said that the CAG has played a key role in addressing issues of good governance and the government is obliged to take necessary actions to address gaps in governance.