Without Development of Rural India, Difficult to Achieve Viksit Bharat Goal by 2047: CAG

Without the development of the hinterland, India cannot become Viksit Bharat or a developed nation by 2047, Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) Girish Chandra Murmu said on Tuesday.

Noting that decentralisation of power has not taken to the extent it should have happened, he said gram sabha or rural bodies are yet to get their due importance in the federal structure.

"Without the development of grassroots level at the local level, we cannot achieve Viksit Bharat. More than 50 per cent of people live in rural areas, and until their governance, their development, their administration, their resources are not augmented, we will not be able to reach (the Viksit Bharat goal). As our prime minister says that if everyone takes one step, we will have 1.4 billion steps... that is why Jan Bhagidari is important," he said.

There are about 2,60,000 panchayats and 7,000 urban local bodies in the country.

He emphasised the need for strengthening of local bodies so that the efficiency of government schemes is achieved and the sooner it happens, the better it is for the country.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) cannot be achieved without strengthening local bodies, he said, adding, that accounting and auditing play important roles in the flow of funds to the local bodies.

With regard to urban local bodies, the CAG said, municipal corporations cannot be given permission to raise resources from the market if they have not followed proper accounting norms.

He further said the state governments should focus on capacity building so that accounting and audit standards for local bodies should be followed properly.

Auditing not only fosters transparency in the system but also brings in economic efficiency in the government schemes, he said, adding, that the outcome can only be achieved by auditing.

Speaking at the event organised by ICAI, Vivek Bhardwaj Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR), said, "Panchayats play a pivotal role in the development of villages and act as force multipliers in driving grassroots progress. Their importance must be fully recognised".

The synergy and partnership between ICAI and CAG will make significant strides in strengthening the financial framework at the local level, Bhardwaj said.

On this occasion, ICAI president Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal said, "Our collaboration with the CAG to empower accounting at the local level underscores our dedication to nation-building. In the past, ICAI has helped Indian Railways to convert from single accounting to double entry accounting system".