-The Economic Times   The Centre's flagship rural employment programme will soon come under the scrutiny of the national auditor, which will look into its implementation in the 12 states that receive the largest share of funds. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India will scrutinise the expenditure and outcome of the public works initiated under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in these states over the past five...

All rural schemes will also get a common accounting format; audit to begin with MGNREGS in 12 states At a time when the government is reeling under a number of corruption cases—several of these following critical reports from the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG)—the ministry of rural development has roped in the statutory auditor to conduct a financial, compliance and performance audit of its schemes. All schemes of the ministries...

-PTI The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) will now scrutinise all the schemes of Rural Development Ministry and Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Union Minister Jairam Ramesh said today. Announcing the decision, Ramesh said the two Ministries annually spend Rs 88,000 crore which is the single largest amount of public expenditure other than Defence and it is very important to have CAG audit in the Ministry schemes for ensuring accountability and...

While a CAG audit is welcome, it alone won’t improve the effectiveness of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh’s recent decision to ask the CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General of India) to audit MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) funds has created a buzz among social sector observers. They’ve been demanding reforms in MGNREGA’s implementation to arrest the slide in its effectiveness. The...

In planning, pursuit of profit was not seen as being in the social interest in the post-Independence years, but now profit is the sole motive. FOR two decades now the Government of India has pursued a policy of accelerated liberalisation, dismantling controls, diluting regulations and making the state a facilitator of private investment. It is not that the presence of the state has diminished during this period, but that its role...