Nagaland delegates at All-India PAC Chairpersons Conference at Thiruvananthapuram.
Our Correspondent
Kohima | November 5
Mhathung Yanthan, Chairman, Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Nagaland Legislative Assembly, accompanied by Secretary, NLA and Officer from PAC, attended the two-day Conference of Chairpersons of Public Accounts Committees of Parliament of India and State/UT Legislatures, held at Thiruvananthapuram, Keralam on November 3 and 4.
The conference was inaugurated by Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, and was held on the theme ‘Audit, Accountability and Good Governance-The Evolving Role of the PAC.’
The Conference was attended by 25 Chairpersons of various States and also Members of PACs of Lok Sabha, Members of OACs of States and Union Territories including officials from 27 States.
The inaugural session was graced by Keralam Chief Minister VD Satheesan, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, Keralam Legislative Assembly speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, and Lok Sabha PAC chairman KC Venugopal.
Om Birla released the Souvenir during the Conference in which Mhathung Yanthan also contributed an article in the Souvenir titled “The Public Accounts Committee: Strengthening Legislative Oversight for Better Governance - Reflections from Nagaland”.
In his article, Yanthan reflected on the role of PAC in ensuring accountability in utilization of public funds, the challenges faced by the Nagaland PAC and the need for time-bound examination of CAG reports, digital monitoring and capacity building for better governance.
Chairpersons of PAC from various States and UTs participated in the discussions and shared the challenges faced by the PAC in their respective States and suggested various measures to strengthen it.
Yanthan also participated in the plenary discussions and shared views on strengthening legislative oversight, timely submission of CAG audit reports to the State Legislature and ensuring accountability in utilization of public funds. Yanthan said the Conference was highly fruitful for Nagaland and the learnings on digital monitoring and time-bound disposal of audit paras with the help of technology will help strengthen the functioning of the PAC in Nagaland Legislative Assembly.
In his concluding remarks, Om Birla described the Keralam Resolution as a forward-looking roadmap and called for it to be translated into concrete action. KC Venugopal also stressed that the role of PACs must be taken seriously and that every penny of public money must be translated into tangible outcomes for the welfare of the beneficiaries.
Keralam Resolution
The Conference unanimously adopted the ‘Keralam Resolution’ for strengthening PACs across India.
• Upholding rigorous examination standards to ensure that public funds are judiciously spent for the purpose for which they have been sanctioned
• Establish a robust mechanism for exchange of best practices and sharing of procedural innovations between PACs of Parliament and State/UTs by creating a centralised digital portal
• Formulate a standardised timelines for submission of Action Taken Notes by the Government on audit paras as well as PAC recommendations.
• Develop digital oversight systems, such as the Audit Para Monitoring System (APMS), in all State and UT PACs to strengthen monitoring of audit observations.
• Consider holding at least three sittings each month and establish Sub-Committees in State and UT to examine and clear pending audit observations
• Strengthen the capacity of PAC Secretariats by providing enhanced analytical training and tools to handle complex financial and technical reviews.
• Strengthen collaboration with the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) to leverage advanced forensic tools and identify high-risk areas of governance requiring immediate legislative oversight
• Utilize digital solutions effectively while maintaining the integrity and sanctity of the due process of the Legislature.
