CAG: Principal AG’s office to be shifted from Rajkot to G’nagar

Rajkot: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, G C Murmu, on Thursday announced that the principal Accountant General (AG) office of Gujarat will soon be relocated from Rajkot to state capital Gandhinagar. The existing building in Rajkot will be converted into the International Center for Audit of Local Governance (iCAL), which Murmu inaugurated during his visit here.
Speaking to the media, Murmu explained, “We are shifting the current audit office of Rajkot to Gandhinagar for better coordination with the govt because there is a secretariat there.”
He further mentioned that the Rajkot building will undergo renovations to accommodate iCAL’s requirements, including the creation of a hostel and classrooms to host participants from various parts of India and other countries who come for training.
When asked about the state govt’s practice of presenting CAG reports on the last days of assembly sessions, resulting in a lack of discussion, Murmu responded, “We submit our report to president and governors as per constitution provision.”
He refrained from commenting on this trend in Gujarat but emphasized that all govt departments are required to provide action taken reports on the suggestions and observations made in the CAG report, regardless of whether the report is placed in the assembly. Murmu also mentioned that they are developing technology to monitor the compliance of their observations in real-time.
Murmu described iCAL as “a collaborative platform uniting policymakers, administrators and auditors involved in local govts. “The centre is committed to engaging with elected representatives, executive officials and auditors of local govt across India to improve the accountability and governance at grassroots.” Murmu said.
The centre will prioritize capacity building for auditors of local govt bodies such as panchayats, municipalities, and municipal corporations. iCAL aims to develop and enhance standards for local govt audits, strengthen data collection and reporting, and empower auditors, executives, and elected representatives through comprehensive training programs and leadership development initiatives.
With 50% of India’s population residing in urban areas, and the presence of 2.5 lakh gram panchayats and 7,000 urban local bodies, CAG’s initiative through iCAL is expected to strengthen the audit process of local governance bodies across the country, the CAG said.