CONTROLLER AND AUDITOR GENERAL OF INDIA
ARTICLE 148 : Comptroller and Auditor General of India
(Appointment ,Oath and Conditions of Service )• There shall be a Controller and Auditor General of India, appointed by president and can remove from his office like manner and on ground like Judge of Supreme Court.
• Oath - Before president or some person appointed on behalf by him.
• His salary and other service conditions cannot be varied to his disadvantage after a appointment. Salary and other conditions of service my be determined by Parliament by Law.
• He is ineligible to hold any office, either under the Government of India or of any State, once he retired/ resign as a CAG.
• The conditions of service of persons serving in the Audit and Accounts Development and the administrative powers of CAG, prescribed by rules made by President after consultation with CAG.
• Expenses of officer, salaries, allowance, pension shall be changed upon the Consolidated Fund of India.
ARTICLE 149 : Duties and power of Comptroller and Auditor General
• Audits all expenditure from the Consolidated Fund of India, Consolidated Fund of State and Union Territory having legislative assembly.
• Audits all Contingency Fund of India, Public Account of India, contingency fund of each state .
• Audits all trading, manufacturing, profit and loss accounts, balance sheet and other subsidiary accounts kept by any department of Central and State Governments.
• Audits the receipts and expenditure of the following : (a) All bodies and authorities substantially financed from the Central or State revenue. (b) Government Companies. (c) Other corporations and bodies, when so required by related laws.
• All transactions of Central and State Governments related to debt, sinking funds, deposits, advanced, suspense accounts and remittance business.CAG also audits receipts, stock accounts and others, with approval of the President, or when required by the President.
• Audits the accounts of any other authority when requested by the President or Governor. e.g., the audit of local bodies.
ARTICLE 150 : Form of account of the Union and of the State
• CAG advises the president with regard to prescription of the form in which the accounts of the Central and States shall be kept.
ARTICLE 151 : Audit reports
• CAG submits his audit reports relating to the accounts of the Central to the President, who shall, in turn, place them before both the House of Parliament (Art.151).
• CAG submits his audit reports relating to the accounts of the State to the Governor, who shall, in turn, place them before both the State Legislature (Art.151).
Note :
• CAG is the guardian of the public purse and controls the entire financial system of the country at both the Levels- the Centre and the State.• Dr. B.R. Ambedkar said that the CAG shall be the most important Office under the Constitution of India.
• Accountability of executive ( Council of ministers) to the parliament secured through Audit Reports of CAG.• CAG is agent of Parliament, conducts audit of expenditure on behalf of Parliament, so he is responsible only to the President.• In practice CAG fulfilling the role of an Auditor General only, not that of a Comptroller like the CAG of Britain.• In other word CAG has no control over the issue of money from the consolidated fund and many departments are authorised to draw money by issuing cheques without specific authority from the CAG.
• CAG in the auditing of public corporations is limited. Public cooperations falls into three categories -
(a). Some corporation are audited totally and directly by CAG eg. Damadar Valley corporation, oil and natural gas commission, Air India, Indian airlines corporation and other.
(b). Some Corporation are audited by private professional auditors appointed by the central Government in consultation with the CAG. Also CAG can conduct supplementary audit, if required. eg. Central Warehousing Corporation, Industrial Finance Corporation and others.
(c). Some other corporation are totally subject to private audit means by private professional auditors, and there is no role of CAG. eg.- life Insurance Corporation of India, Reserve Bankof India, State Bank of India, Food corporation of India and others.
(d) CAG holds office for a period of Six years Or upto the age of 65 years whichever is earlier.
(e) He can resign from his office, addressed to the President.
(f) He can be removed from his office on the basis of resolution passed by the both houses of parliament with special majority on ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity.
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