Thaindian News

New Delhi, July 5 (IANS) Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar Monday criticised the “sluggish” approach of the central and state governments towards the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) reports and underlined that transparency was the driving force of good governance.

“The response of ministries in taking action on the CAG’s reports has not been very encouraging,” Meira Kumar said citing a recent Public Accounts Committee report presented to parliament.

“I understand that the response of state government executives in taking remedial action on the CAG’s reports is also equally sluggish,” she said at the National Seminar on Legislature - Audit Interface here which she inaugurated.

“Some very effective and concrete measures need to be taken both by the governments and the legislatures to address the situation,” she said.

The seminar was attended by speakers of state legislatures, chairpersons of the Public Accounts Committee and of the Committees on Public Undertakings, CAG, officers of the Indian audit and accounts department and the Lok Sabha secretariat.

“I am sure all of you would agree that transparency and accountability are the driving forces for good governance,” Meira Kumar said.

The seminar was organised to promote the effectiveness of legislatures in matters related to oversight of the financial activities and performance of the executive with the aim of ensuring transparency, accountability and good governance.

The speaker said the tasks of financial committees and the CAG in modern times have become more extensive and complex because of ever-increasing government spending, an enormous amount of outlays on programmes for improving the basic quality of life of the common man and changed systems of public finance and service deliveries for achieving better outcomes.

“Besides, people expect much greater transparency and public accountability for good governance,” she added.