Audits part of ‘value addition’: PM

Addressing an event to mark the first Audit Diwas, organised by CAG, Modi took a dig at the previous UPA government, saying “there was a time when audits were looked upon with apprehension… and ‘CAG vs government’ became a common perception… Now this mindset has changed. Today, audit is considered an important part of value addition.”

“When I was the chief minister of Gujarat, I used to tell my officers to give all the documents and data sought by CAG. I say this even today. This creates scope for us to do better work,” he said.

Modi said the CAG has the advantage of an “outsider viewpoint” while assessing the performance of the government. “There were constant warnings from your side regarding fiscal deficit and government spending. We accepted your concerns in a positive way and took bold decisions to monetise unused and under-used elements,” he said. “It is the result of these decisions that the economy is gaining momentum again.”

“You know better than me how the NPAs (non-performing assets) were brushed under the carpet in the past. But we put the truth of the previous governments and the factual position before the country with complete honesty… We can only find solutions if we recognise the problems,” he said.