IMPHAL, November 3: The state level audit committee in a recent meeting has informed the state finance department to constitute a committee after consulting with the state Accountant General to channelized proper regularization of funds drawn with AC bills by submitting DCC bills and the proper functioning of the state level audit committee.
According to a reliable source, the chief secretary DS Poonia who chaired the proceedings of the meeting informed the members present that the meeting has been conveyed to sort out the various issues raised by the Accountant General, Manipur.
During the meeting, the chief secretary elaborated that the AG has been raising the issues of non-regularization of funds drawn with AC bills by submitting DCC bills, the amounts drawn and deposited to the state exchequer and also about the non-functioning of the audit committee since its inception in 1992, the source added.
It further added that, the AG deliberated that the 1992 order of the state finance department regarding the constitution of the state level audit committee to monitor the actions taken up by the state departments regarding reviews of the audit report should be relook. He explained further that the paras in the audit report needed to be discussed well in advance before it is submitted to the Public Account Committee of the Manipur Legislative Assembly as once the report reaches the PAC, the issues cannot be sorted out as it becomes a prerogative of the house.
Further according to the source, the AG stated that as of March 3, 2009, there are 14856 outstanding audit reviews out of which 2892 are of serious nature.
Later, the chief secretary based on the statement of AG over the outstanding review, advised the administrative secretaries of PHED, IFCD, PWD, Power etc. to immediately initiate actions to settle the outstanding review, the source mantained.
It further informed that the meeting after a detailed discussion including the views and issues raided by officials of various departments present during the meeting, decided that all departments will immediately convened meetings and resolve issues preventing settlement of the audit paras in consultation with the office of the AG by the end of October.
It had further decided that, all departments will take immediate action to regularize the funds drawn against AC bills so that any audit para relating to such withdrawals could be settled and the fund drawn and parked with the state exchequer should also be withdrawn and used for the purpose for when it has been sanctioned in accordance with the prescribed procedure, the official source added.