Chennai: Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on Friday introduced a bill in the Assembly to provide for an effective and efficient audit system to all local authorities, bodies or institutions and funds to ensure transparency. According to the bill, it has been introduced to bring in legislation to provide for an effective and efficient audit system to give effect to the recommendations of the 13th Finance Commission and the second State Finance Commission and to ensure transparency in the functioning of the local authorities and other authorities, bodies or institutions and funds established by the state government.
As of now, the audit of urban and rural local bodies, universities, agricultural market committees, local library authorities and some other institutions in the state are undertaken by the local fund audit department under the provisions of the respective Acts governing these institutions. The bill seeks to appoint the director of Local Fund Audit and conduct of audit annually or at such intervals. As far as village panchayats are concerned, the director would conduct audit of twenty per cent of such panchayats in a financial year, so that all such panchayats are audited within a span of five years.
Annually a consolidated report of the audited account will be tabled in the Assembly along with CAG report. Meanwhile, municipal administration and rural development minister S. P. Velumani introduced a bill to establish an independent ombudsman for enquiring into the allegation against elected members of the local bodies, officers and employees working in the local bodies in the state. The bill seeks to replace the Tamil Nadu local bodies Ombudsman Ordinance, 2014 promulgated by the Governor on November 13 this year.
