Comptroller And Auditor General Of India (cag)
Article 148 provides for an independent office of 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 appointed by President by warrant under his hand and seal and shall only be removed from office in like manner and on like grounds as a judge of Supreme Court.
- He holds the office for a period of 6 years or upto the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. [Provided under The comptroller and auditor general’s (Duties, Powers and Conditions of Service) Act, 1971]
- The duties and functions of the CAG as laid down by the Parliament and the Constitution are: o Auditing 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.
o Auditing 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
o Auditing the receipts and expenditure of the following:
(a) All bodies and authorities substantially financed from the Central or state revenues;
(b) Government companies; and
(c) Other corporations and bodies, when so required by related laws
-
Auditing the accounts of any other authority when requested by the President or Governor. For example, the audit of local bodies.
-
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, who shall, in turn, place them before both the Houses of Parliament and submits his audit reports relating to the accounts of a state to governor, who shall, in turn, place them before the state legislature (Article 151).
-
Indian CAG has no control over the issue of money from the consolidated fund and many departments are authorized to draw money by issuing cheques without specific authority from the CAG, who is concerned only at the audit stage when the expenditure has already taken place. In Britain, the executive can draw money from the public exchequer only with the approval of the CAG.