All India Audit & Accounts Association: November 2011

It was show of Gr A officers, the Group B and C were assiduously kept off – lest the sanctity of the ceremony will be sullied. All bigwigs were invited, the Finance Minister, the Chairman of Public Accounts Committee – but no staff side representative. No desecration of a holy ceremony please!

Normally we should have termed it as a celebration. But in the present case we are constrained to term it as a ceremony.

They were commemorating of the foundation of the institution of CAG by the British colonial rulers and reveling on it.

As citizens of sovereign republic one cannot celebrate the colonial legacy – even though it cannot be rubbed off altogether.

The testing stone is how far the institution of CAG has imbibed the spirit of sovereign republic and how the future is planned?

In both, one will have to say that grades may not be upto the mark.

The institution of CAG – IA&AD – is the most intolerant bureaucracy in the country, vehemently subjugating the rights of the employees to organise and protest. A Constitutional body should necessary have imbibed the constitutional guarantees in its real spirit. Tragically, it is not the case.

The Department has with all its limitations could effectively intervene in bringing about a semblance of Public Accountability – as watch dog Indian finances – through its findings. Every year this did save thousands of crores of rupees to the exchequer. It helped and forced the erring segments in the bureaucracy to act more diligently in the interest of the people and the nation. It is the Gr C & B officials in IA&AD who did bulk of this responsibility. This was possible through time tested audit methodology – regularity and propriety audit or transaction audit.

The decision of the Administration of CAG to do away with the time tested system of transaction audit – where actually irregularities are pointed out at initial stage itself leading to corrections – is going to be the death knell of Public Accountability. This will only help scamsters and fraudsters, not the nation and the tax payer.

(Note: The sensational audit report of late 1980s on the purchase of Bofors guns was the effort of regularity and propriety audit, not of performance audit – Bofors guns performed well during the Kargil war!).

Performance audit and thematic audit not preceded by transaction audit may give the department the headlines in the media, but will not serve the nation.

Rather this policy change in the audit criteria and audit methodologies is going to help the 1% (or much less than that) of the population who are hell bent to loot the country.

This is exactly why the otherwise to be celebration has to be termed as ceremony – ceremony to remember the past – where we will have nothing more to add.

In IA&AD, the department presided over by the Constitutional Authority CAG, more than 99% of personnel are Gr C and Gr B personnel. Any function ignoring the vast majority is a farce.

Reports emanating gives an impression that the institution of CAG is a divided house. It is not clear whether any hidden personal agenda is behind this reported division.

Just like "Occupy Wall Street" campaign with the slogan 'We are 99 %' the employees and officers of IA&AD has to assert – we are 99 %!

Campaign on the damage being caused to the nation through the change in audit criteria and audit methodologies has to be planned and effectively carried out.

With regards

Yours fraternally

(M.S.Raja)

Secretary General

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Circular 27-2011

Dear Comrades

Please find Circular 27 posted below

Yours fraternally

M. S. Raja

Secretary General

ALL INDIA AUDIT & ACCOUNTS ASSOCIATION

CSV WARRIER BHAWAN

15/1089-90, VASUNDHARA, VASUNDHARA (P.O.), Dt. GHAZIABAD (U.P), PIN-201012

Ph: 0120-2881727/4101593/ 0 – 98681 45667

E-mail: auditflag@gmail.com

Website: www.auditflag.blogspot.com

Reference: AIA/Circular-27/2011 Dated: 16^th November 2011

Unit Secretaries,

Members & Spl. Invitees – NE &

Members of Women's Committee

Dear Comrades,

CAMPAIGN AGAINST PFRDA BILL

KERALA SHOWS THE WAY

Campaign under the banner of Steering Committee involving all sections of population and prominent personalities in different walks of life and 6.5 lakh signatures in 20 days! Reports say that the signatures have neared 7 lakhs by this time.

This is a feat accomplished by Kerala comrades on the PFRDA Bill - something to be emulated by one and all with required modification in each station.

A brief on the campaign undertaken in Kerala is given elsewhere.

WE ARE 99%!

The campaign started in the USA with the slogan 'we are 99 %' is catching up the whole world. The protesters are occupying the citadel of capitalism – the Wall Street. Numerous attempts to physically remove them – the latest one on 15^th November – have failed, with more number of people joining the protest.

The protesters – the young ones, the jobless and the marginally employed – is demanding reversal of economic policy, saying that the policy that is being pursued is for the benefit of only one per cent (1%) of the population and the rest 99% is left out and forced to face the brunt of the policies.

This protest started in US has ever since spread to Europe, in Britain, Australia, France etc. The world over protest against the economic policies that enrich the rich and pauperise the poor is being questioned, challenged. India can be no exception, is not.

The Govt has decided to push the Pension bill permitting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) upto 26% which can further be raised later.

Ignoring the results of pension privatisation elsewhere in the world and feeding into the corporate need and greed the government is going ahead with the Pension privatisation despite resistance from the working class, especially the civilian employees.

The government is concerned only about the need of less than 1% of the population ie the corporate houses, the stock markets sharks – whether bull or bear.

The fight has to continue, till we ensure that statutory pension is restored and extended to all eligible sections.

With regards

Yours fraternally

(M.S.Raja)

Secretary General

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

You Can Also Do It!

CAMPAIN AGAINST PFRDA BILL

KERALA SETS AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS TO EMULATE

Collects nearly 7 lakh signatures!

The following campaign program has been implemented in Kerala State in phased manner.

1. A well organized state level convention was organized at Ernakulam (Kochi) on 09-07-2011. About 1000 employees participated. Com Sukomal Sen, Sr Vice President, All India State Govt. Employees Federation inaugurated the convention.

2. District level conventions were organized in all district Head-Quarters on 16-07-2011 and 17-07-2011. State committee members of the confederation attended the district conventions.

3. Evening Dharna was organized in every district and Taluka head quarters on 28-07-2011 and 29-07-2011 at prominent locations. Average 200 members participated in each dharna. Various trade union and service organisation leaders addressed the dharnas.

4. Signature campaign was organized in three phases.

a. First Phase :

Inaugural function of the signature campaign was organised at all District head quarters on 25-08-2011 with big public meetings addressed by unions leaders. Important personalities were invited to sign the memorandum during the inaugural function. Wide media coverage was given.

b. 2^nd Phase :

Members of the organisations of steering committee visited all offices and institutions and collected signatures throughout the state from employees and workers.

c. 3^rd Phase :

Members of the organisations of the steering committee approached the public throughout the state and collected signatures. Booths for collecting signatures from public were erected in front of all important offices like post offices, state Govt. offices, Bus stands and other public places.

5. Signature campaign was continued up to 13-09-2011. Total 6.5 lakh (Six and half lakh ) signatures have been collected during the period from 25-08-2011 to 13-09-2011 (20 days)

6. A train Jatha was organised on 13-09-2011 and 14-09-2011 from northern end of Kerala (Kasargod) to southern end (Trivandrum). State level leaders travelled in the train from Kasargod to Trivandrum, district level leaders handed over the bundles of signatures collected after conducting big demonstrations at all important railway stations at district head quarters. The program was widely covered in the media. The state level leaders were finally received at Trivandrum railway stations (State capital) with big rally.

7. March to Rajbhawan was organized on 16-09-2011. About 7000 (seven thousand) employees and workers participated. The march was inaugurated by Com. Pinarayi Vijayan, State Secretary & Politburo member of CPI (M).

8. Efforts are being made to ensure participation of maximum number of delegates in the November 25^th Parliament March from Kerala state.

Confederation Charter of "Demands – Campaign "

1. Campaign week was observed from 01-09-2011 to 05-09-2011 throughout the Kerala State. Gate meetings and demonstrations were held in front of all important Central Govt. offices and charter of demands was explained to the membership.

2. District level conventions of central Govt. employees were organized in all the DISTRICT ON 19-09-2011 AND 20-09-2011. Com. K.K.N.Kutty, Secretary General , Confederation , who was taking rest after his surgery ,inaugurated the district convention of Malappuram District near his residence on 20-09-2011.

3. Dharna was organised at every District Head quarters on 28-09-2011. On an average 200 Central Govt. employees participated

4. Program of march to the office of Chairman , Central Govt. welfare co-ordination committee was organised on 20-10-2011. A big procession was conducted from AG's office to GPO, Trivandrum. About 1000 Central Govt. employees participated. The march was inaugurated by Com. P.K.Sreemathi Teacher , Ex. Health minister of Kerala .

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