Comptroller and Auditor General of India

Comptroller and Auditor General of India

• Article 148 provides for an independent office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).
• He is the head of the Indian Audit and Accounts Department.
• He 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.
• He is one of the bulwarks of the democratic system of government in India; the others being the Supreme Court, the Election Commission and the Union Public Service Commission.
• The CAG is appointed by the president of India by a warrant under his hand and seal.
• He holds office for a period of six years or up to the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
• He tables his resignation letter to the President.

Duties and Powers

• He audits the accounts related to all expenditure from the Consolidated Fund of India, consolidated fund of each state and consolidated fund of each union territory having a Legislative Assembly.
• He audits all expenditure from the Contingency Fund of India and the Public Account of India as well as the contingency fund of each state and the public account of each state.
• He compiles and maintains the accounts of state governments. In 1976, he was relieved of his responsibilities with regard to the compilation and maintenance of accounts of the Central Government due to the separation of accounts from audit, that is, departmentalization of accounts.
• He audits the accounts of any other authority when requested by the President or Governor.
• He advises the President with regard to prescription of the form in which the accounts of the Centre and the states shall be kept (Article 150).
• He submits his audit reports relating to the accounts of the Centre to President, and reports relating to state to Governor.

Audit reports submitted by CAG to the President:

• Audit report on appropriation accounts;
• Audit report on finance accounts; and
• Audit report on public undertakings;
• When President lays these reports before both houses of the Parliament, the Public Accounts Committee examines them and reports its findings to the Parliament