CAG gets a toehold in RAW - Indian Express
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has got a toehold in the auditing process of Research & Analysis Wing (RAW), India's premier intelligence agency.
In directions issued by the cabinet secretariat earlier this month, RAW has been told to submit a copy of its annual internal audit report to CAG. The report is prepared by a senior officer of the Indian Audit Service. A series of follow-up steps are also listed in the communication, which has been the subject of high-level discussions over the past few months.
RAW's audit process came up after CAG completed its special audit of the National Technical Research Organisation. The report was critical of purchases, procedures and recruitment.
RAW's audit practices were discussed at a high-level meeting at CAG headquarters, which the RAW chief, officials of the cabinet secretariat and PMO attended.
The RAW chief has been asked to "personally'' keep CAG informed of how the audit paras listed in the internal report have been "settled.'' The RAW chief is expected to keep the CAG posted on action taken by it on audit objections or expense anomalies.
RAW has also been advised to set up a monitoring committee headed by its chief, which will periodically review the settlement of audit objections. Agency officials said the directive is a reiteration of old guidelines, and that interaction with the CAG and cabinet secretariat, on the lines suggested, has been set in motion.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has got a toehold in the auditing process of Research & Analysis Wing (RAW), India's premier intelligence agency.
In directions issued by the cabinet secretariat earlier this month, RAW has been told to submit a copy of its annual internal audit report to CAG. The report is prepared by a senior officer of the Indian Audit Service. A series of follow-up steps are also listed in the communication, which has been the subject of high-level discussions over the past few months.
RAW's audit process came up after CAG completed its special audit of the National Technical Research Organisation. The report was critical of purchases, procedures and recruitment.
RAW's audit practices were discussed at a high-level meeting at CAG headquarters, which the RAW chief, officials of the cabinet secretariat and PMO attended.
The RAW chief has been asked to "personally'' keep CAG informed of how the audit paras listed in the internal report have been "settled.'' The RAW chief is expected to keep the CAG posted on action taken by it on audit objections or expense anomalies.
RAW has also been advised to set up a monitoring committee headed by its chief, which will periodically review the settlement of audit objections. Agency officials said the directive is a reiteration of old guidelines, and that interaction with the CAG and cabinet secretariat, on the lines suggested, has been set in motion.