ICAI: Job schemes may be audited by local CAs

Use of funds allocated under the UPA government's flagship programme Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act could end up being audited by local chartered accountants. This is part of an endeavour by The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) that is interacting with the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) of India to promote end use audit in government schemes.

G Ramaswamy, vice-president of ICAI, told reporters here on Friday that ICAI has impressed on the C&AG that MGNREGA that is being implemented throughout the country through the respective state governments would be the ideal scheme to promote end use audit.

This will ensure checks and balances, he opined adding that ICAI has already made representation to C&AG that MNREGS should be audited by the CAs.

If accepted, this move will help small and medium practitioners also and CAs throughout the country can monitor and end user identified properly. Ramaswamy said that the C&AG is very positive.

They have collected all the information about the CAs available throughout the country. "We have given district-wise data. We are pursuing them to make it mandatory. They also have positive approach on this," Ramaswamy added.