CAG Raises Concerns Over Unsubmitted Annual Accounts in Assam
Audit Issues Highlighted by CAG
Guwahati, Dec 2: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has expressed frustration over the reluctance of state public sector undertakings (PSUs) and autonomous councils to submit their annual financial statements for auditing. This lack of compliance raises concerns about the effective use of grants and loans allocated to these entities, as the absence of audited accounts makes it impossible to verify their financial management.
As of September 2024, the CAG is still awaiting 485 annual accounts from 75 autonomous councils, development councils, and government bodies, which are due for the fiscal year 2023-24.
Among the outstanding accounts, nine belong to three autonomous district councils established under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
Notably, 106 of the unsubmitted accounts are over a decade old, while another 136 are between five to ten years overdue.
More than 350 of these pending accounts are associated with the Welfare of Tribal Affairs (Plain) department.
The CAG's report indicated that despite repeated discussions with relevant authorities regarding the non-submission of accounts, there has been little to no improvement.
Additionally, the CAG has not received 245 annual accounts from 39 PSUs, also due for the fiscal year 2023-24.
Out of these, 60 accounts are over ten years old, 57 are between five to ten years old, and 35 are three to five years old. The Industries & Commerce department has nearly 95 pending accounts, while 26 are from Minority Development and 21 from Soil Conservation.
The CAG emphasized that it is the responsibility of the relevant administrative departments to monitor these entities and ensure that the accounts of state PSUs are finalized and submitted in a timely manner.
Furthermore, the heads of departments must guarantee that their respective undertakings prepare and submit their accounts to the accountant general (audit) within the designated timeframe.
Audit reviews have also revealed that 6,335 utilization certificates for grants totaling over Rs 18,699 crore, allocated to 50 state government departments from 2005-06 to 2022-23, remain unsubmitted.
In light of these findings, the CAG has urged the government to formulate a comprehensive strategy to address the backlog of accounts from consistently non-compliant autonomous district councils and other entities.