CAG vs govt: The growing tussle between the auditor and the audited

Over the past decade, rapid structural changes in the economy have radically altered what was once a low-profile department

In a first, the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) officers reached out to several ministries in the last week of April as part of a confidence-boosting measure. The meeting brought the CAG officials and those from the ministries across the table to discuss the pain points in their relations.

CAG of India Girish Chandra Murmu took this novel step because of growing tensions between those audited and the auditor. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi pointed out last year, “‘CAG versus Government’ has become a common thought in our system.” By any reckoning, it has been a tumultuous ride since 2011 for