Page 6 - Cag

CAG raises concerns over 330,000 wagons being operated without NCO approval

More than 3.30 lakh repaired wagons were operated without NCO approval and this has compromised safety, according to a new report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. Neutral Control Office in workshops/yards are meant for independent examination of repaired wagons or those that go undergo periodic overhauls before their actual handing over to open line for operations. An NCO approval is vital as wagons repaired in workshops are subjected for a check by the Neutral Train Examiner (NTXR). Only those certified fit can be inducted into service. Those found defective by NTXR are detained for further attention. "More than 3.30 lakh wagons constituting 41 per cent of total were passed locally (without NCO approval) after being repaired at workshops/terminal yards, compromising safety," the CAG report said. It also said that an analysis of the FOIS (Freight Operations Information System) data for 2016-17 to 2020-21 revealed that the halt time was close to half of the total tra

Ensure adequate competition and minimise vendor lock-in, says CAG report

CAG report said that in future, the department must ensure adequate competition and minimise vendor lock-in by ensuring that more bidders participate in the bidding for tendering for the next contract

Small arms factories witnessed very less demand from armed forces: CAG

Small arms factories witnessed "either no demand or very less demand" from the armed forces during the 2015-16 to 2019-20 period, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India has observed. Performance Audit Report No. 5 of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on Production of Small Arms in Ordnance Factories was presented in Parliament on Monday. Eight weapon manufacturing factories, which were under the Weapon, Vehicles and Equipment (WV&E) group of the erstwhile Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), have been grouped, post corporatisation of OFB, under one DPSU - M/s Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (M/s AWEIL), headquartered at Kanpur, it said in a statement. Three weapon manufacturing factories viz. Rifle Factory Ishapore (RFI), Small Arms Factory Kanpur (SAF) and Ordnance Factory Trichy (OFT) manufacture small arms (rifles, machine guns, carbines, pistols, anti-riot/tear gas/pump action gun, etc.) for the armed forces, paramilitary forces (MHA) and the states/UTs,

Deficiencies noticed in recapitalisation of public sector banks: CAG report

As the conduct of the event within the monuments or its precincts is likely to cause damage to the built infrastructure and its environs, the ASI would levy charges for usage

CAG report flags non-sharing of Covid expenditure records in Maharashtra

A report prepared by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) on the functioning of Mumbai's civic body has highlighted the lack of transparency and planning as well as careless use of funds and flagged non-sharing of COVID-19 management expenditure records. The CAG report, which was tabled in the Maharashtra Assembly on Saturday by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, scrutinized expenditure of Rs 12,023.88 crore made by nine departments of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation between November 28, 2019 and October 31, 2022. Several works were awarded without tendering or choosing proper contractors, including one case of an influent pumping station in which, the report said, malafide intentions cannot be ruled out. The CAG report also stated that records relating to the expenditure for the management of COVID-19 pandemic were not produced despite repeated requests to the civic body by the Office of the Accountant General (Audit)-I, Maharashtra. The non-production o

CAG to chair G20 SAI on March 13-15 in Guwahati, 'Responsible AI' in focus

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India is the Chair of the Supreme Audit Institutions-20 (SAI20) Engagement Group under India's G20 Presidency

CAG report on allegations of discrepancies in accreditation not final yet

CAG report on allegations of discrepancies in accreditation not final yet: NAAC

Blue economy occupies vital position in India's economic growth: CAG

The blue economy occupies a vital position in India's economic growth and it could well be the next multiplier of GDP and well-being, provided sustainability and socio-economic welfare are kept at the centre stage, said CAG G C Murmu on Monday. India has a 7,517 km long coastline that is home to nine coastal states and 1,382 islands. The coastal economy sustains over 4 million fishermen and other coastal communities. There are nearly 199 ports, including 12 major ports that handle approximately 1,400 million tons of cargo each year, Comptroller & Auditor General of India (CAG) said at a seminar on the challenges and opportunities in the Blue Economy. Moreover, he said, India's Exclusive Economic Zone of over 2 million square kilometres has a bounty of living and non-living resources with significant recoverable resources such as crude oil and natural gas. "With these vast maritime interests, the blue economy occupies a vital potential position in India's economic growth. It could .

CAG selected as external auditor of International Labour Organisation

Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has been selected as external auditor of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Geneva for a four-year term from 2024 to 2027, the apex auditor said in a statement on Thursday. Girish Chandra Murmu is the CAG. CAG will take over from the incumbent external auditor of ILO, Supreme Audit Institution of Philippines. "CAG's appointment is a recognition of its standing among the international community as well as its professionalism, high standards, global audit experience and strong national credentials," it said. Giving details, the CAG said ILO had formed a selection panel for appointment of external auditor and invited bids from the Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs). Based on the technical experience and other criteria, the ILO shortlisted three Supreme Audit Institutions (India, Canada and United Kingdom) for technical presentations. In Geneva, a three-member team from CAG of India presented the strengths, approach and skill se

Mizoram made wasteful expenditure of over Rs 15 cr in ropeway project: CAG

The Mizoram government has incurred "wasteful expenditure" of over Rs 15 crore in the installation of the rope way cable car project from Dartlang to Chaltlang here, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has said. The CAG report said that the union tourism ministry observed that the work components consultant did not did not submit a feasibility report or mention in its DPR that the project would go through three power transmission lines. The Rs 99.07 Aizawl-Lengpui-Hmuifang under the Eco circuit theme of Swadeshi Darshan scheme ropeway project by the union tourism ministry was started in March 2017 was to be completed in 30 months. The Dartlang-Chaltlang project was a part of it. The Union Tourism Ministry had, however, observed in December 2019 that the work component of the ropeway was undertaken without obtaining the necessary approvals and without assessing the feasibility of the project, the CAG report said. Moreover, the meeting between the tourism department an

Need to probe into avoidable expenses by health dept: CAG to Mizoram govt

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has observed that there is a need to investigate into avoidable expenditure of Rs 5.3 crore incurred by the Mizoram health and family welfare department. The CAG report tabled in the assembly by Chief Minister Zoramthanga on Thursday said that the Directorate of Hospital and Medical Education (DHME) had entered into a memorandum of understanding with Intergen Energy Limited (IGEL) in 2012 for the installation of renewable energy and water treatment plants at nine hospitals based on suo-motu proposals submitted by the Delhi-based firm. According to records of the DHME, water treatment plants were installed by the firm in five hospitals at a total cost of Rs 50 lakh and payments were made to the entity between March 2012 and February 2014, the report said. The private entity provided water to four hospitals for a short duration, ranging from four months to two years, and failed to supply water to a hospital even though the MoU stated

Regulatory mishaps seem to dog the Indian financial markets permanently

One way out is to give constitutional status to regulatory agencies with systemic importance, like in the case of CAG, and CEC

Recovery of over Rs 7,000 cr revenue arrears pending: CAG to Kerala govt

The Comptroller and General (CAG) of India has found that the Kerala government has failed to collect revenue arrears of Rs 7,100.32 crore, which was outstanding for more than five years and stressed the need for urgent intervention to clear it. The government departments should create a database of outstanding arrears for effective monitoring and follow-up for recovery of arrears, it recommended. The total arrears of Rs 21,797.86 crore amount to 22.33 per cent of the total revenue of the southern state, according to the latest CAG report. "The total arrears of revenue as on 31 March 2021 on certain principal heads of revenue amounted to Rs 21,797.86 crore of which Rs 7,100.32 crore was outstanding for more than five years," it said. The Combined Compliance Audit Report (Revenue Sector), Govt. of Kerala for the period 2019-21 of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India was tabled in the state Assembly on Thursday. "Out of the total arrears, Rs 6,422.49 crore (29.46 per cent)

Auditing of local bodies key as India aims to touch $5 trn economy: CAG

Murmu also pointed out that digitisation and expanded use of technology and artificial intelligence have brought its own challenges

CAG says 3 state-owned oil firms ignoring own software for logistics

National auditor says state-owned companies make monthly adjustments that aren't best for saving costs, efficiency

Risk of data tampering in Assam's NRC updation process, says CAG report

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has flagged the risk of data tampering in the NRC for Assam, due to improper software development related to data capture and correction during the updation process of the citizenship document. A highly secure and reliable software was required to be developed for the National Register of Citizens (NRC) updation exercise, but during the audit, lack of proper planning in this regard came to the fore. The updated final NRC, which validates bonafide Indian citizens of Assam, was released on August 31, 2019, with total 3,11,21,004 names included out of 3,30,27,661 applicants, though it is yet to be notified. The CAG submitted a report for the year ended in 2020, on the last day of the winter session of the Assam Assembly on Saturday, which pointed out that 215 software utilities were added in a haphazard manner to the core software. It was done without following the due process of either software development or selection of vendor through ..

NRC project cost escalates from Rs 288 crore to Rs 1,602 crore: CAG report

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India in its report pointed out that due to time over run initially conceptualised National Register of Citizens, the project cost escalated to Rs 1602.66 Crore

Over Rs 108 cr diverted from CM's Nagarothana scheme, finds CAG report

In contravention of guidelines, the city corporations of Ballari, Tumakuru and Vijayapura have diverted Rs 108.75 crore of funds, meant for the 'Chief Minister's Nagarothana scheme', towards other projects, the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) has said. The CAG's performance audit on the 'Mukhyamantrigala Nagarothana scheme (phase-3) for city corporations' was tabled in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Friday. The Nagarothana scheme (phase-3) at an estimated cost of Rs 1,000 crore was launched to upgrade infrastructure in 10 city corporations, with each one getting Rs 100 crore. The performance audit covered the period 2014-15 to 2020-21 in Ballari, Mysuru, Tumakuru and Vijayapura. According to the CAG findings, "In contravention of the scheme guidelines, the test checked city corporations diverted Rs 108.75 crore (40 per cent of the total expenditure of Rs 269.28 crore) towards work taken up under other schemes." It was towards paying their contribution amounts for other

Four CPSEs extended Rs 2,609 cr worth undue benefits to execs: CAG report

The CAG recommended that these CPSEs should discontinue reimbursement of "running and maintenance" expenses of vehicles as it violates DPE guidelines

Irregularities in corporation tax assessments of high value cases: CAG

CAG audit report on Direct Taxes drew attention to 57 instances of significant errors and irregularities in corporation tax assessments of high value cases