Enhancing Accountability: The Role of CAG in Urban Local Bodies

Comptroller and Auditor General of India K Sanjay Murthy highlighted the importance of mature accounts in urban local bodies for boosting transparency and operational efficiency. Significant efforts are being made to improve account quality using the city finance portal. The 16th Finance Commission's grants increase supports this push for accountability.

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India, K Sanjay Murthy, emphasized the importance of mature accounts in ensuring the operational efficiency and transparency of urban local bodies. Speaking at a national conference of State Secretaries, Murthy highlighted significant observations regarding account quality and the commitment to improve alongside state governments.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has taken considerable steps forward with the city finance portal, facilitating better visibility and transparency in account preparation as urban body financial details are uploaded. Moving ahead, the CAG prioritizes assessing these accounts' maturity, initially analyzing around 700 accounts for this purpose.

Murthy announced that grants from the 16th Finance Commission had more than doubled, and schemes like the Urban Challenge Fund could leverage investments worth over four lakh crore. The aim is to provide a uniform report on state grants to local bodies. Simultaneously, Panchayati Raj Secretary Vivek Bhardwaj acknowledged CAG's support in making Panchayat institutions exemplary models of accountability and community responsiveness.

(With inputs from agencies.)