Politics · India Bureau
Congress MP urges CAG to refocus audit on welfare programmes
Parliament's Public Accounts Committee chief has called for the Comptroller and Auditor General to concentrate on auditing social welfare schemes rather than matters outside constitutional scope. The appeal comes amid concerns that vital development programmes are receiving insufficient scrutiny.
LSN India ·
KC Venugopal, the Congress Member of Parliament who chairs the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC), has urged the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to prioritize audits of critical social welfare programmes that he contends are being overlooked. Speaking at a PAC conference, Venugopal raised concerns that the audit body has been venturing into areas beyond its constitutional remit, diverting resources from essential oversight work. The PAC chief emphasized that the CAG's mandate should be refocused on evaluating the implementation and effectiveness of government welfare schemes that directly impact citizens' lives. These programmes, according to Venugopal, require robust independent scrutiny to ensure public funds are deployed efficiently and equitably. The remarks reflect growing discussions within parliamentary circles about optimizing the CAG's audit portfolio and ensuring that constitutional oversight mechanisms are deployed where they deliver maximum public accountability and benefit.