CAG seeks data accountability law

NEW DELHI: The Comptroller and Auditor General has “advised” President Ram Nath Kovind to bring in a "Data Accountability and Transparency Act" to make all government transactions, both at the Centre and in states/union territories, to be made 100% electronically and dispense with the practice of making any expenditure through vouchers.
In a letter written to President Ram Nath Kovid recently, CAG Rajiv Mehrishi, who is retiring on Friday after a three-year stint as the CAG, said that the new data law is much needed to bring in transparency in the system and make the audit more comprehensive. The new law shall be binding on both the Centre and states, according to the suggestion.
He told TOI during an interaction that under Article 150, the CAG can advise the President to introduce legislative changes required for better administration of the country. The CAG’s advisory to the President is significant given the accusations made by the political class often on CAG’s ‘interference’ in matters of governance of the country.
“We have formally advised the President two-and-half months ago on bringing a new law that would make all government transactions electronically,” Mehrishi said. He mentioned the success of the Income Tax department’s faceless assessment system that has almost eliminated interaction of the officials and the taxpayers, bringing in more transparency and seamless time bound transactions.
“Once the government decides to bring in the new data accountability and transparency bill, it should take not more than three years to bring all government transactions on electronic platforms,” he said. According to CAG’s assessment, in the first two years, all central government and public sector undertakings can be brought under 100% mandatory e-transaction platform and in the third year, the process can be completed with all state and UT and their departments.
The CAG has offered to help the government in setting data standards for all authorities to migrate to a common platform. Already, the CAG is responsible for it may require setting up a data authority and mandatory entry of all transactions.