Delhi Legislative Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta recently addressed concerns regarding the pending paras of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report related to the Delhi government. He shared details of a meeting held on March 21, 2025, with the Accountant General of Delhi, where it was revealed that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Committee on Government Undertakings (COGU) of the previous assembly had failed to submit any reports over the past ten years.
A statement released by Gupta’s office highlighted the serious issue of these committees not submitting reports during the last assembly, pointing to the ineffective functioning of both committees in addressing critical government audits.
“I would like to inform you that on March 21, 2025, the Accountant General of Delhi met me in my office and provided information regarding various pending paras of the CAG report related to the Delhi government. He drew my attention to the serious fact that, over the past ten years, neither the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) nor the Committee on Government Undertakings (COGU) of the then Assembly had submitted any reports,” the statement read.
The statement also pointed out that administrative departments had failed to submit their Action Taken Notes (ATNs) on the CAG report’s paras, which should have been presented within three months in the Assembly.
“What is even more concerning is that the administrative departments have also failed to submit their Action Taken Notes (ATNs) on the CAG report’s paras, which should have been presented in the Assembly within three months,” the statement added.
The statement further stressed the importance of ATNs, explaining that the CAG conducts rigorous audits, and when the PAC or COGU addresses an issue, it is the responsibility of the concerned departments to present their action plans. The failure to submit ATNs undermines the audit process, the statement said.
“The Accountant General, Delhi, also mentioned that the Government of India’s Expenditure Department has established a monitoring cell to track compliance, and a web-based application called the Audit Para Monitoring System (APMS) has been developed for monitoring pending Action Taken Notes. This application has been developed by NIC. In January 2025, the AG, Delhi, had requested the Finance Department of the Delhi government to adopt this system in Delhi as well,” the statement further noted.
Gupta emphasized the need for the implementation of this system in Delhi, calling it a vital step for effective monitoring. “I believe this is a good initiative and should be implemented in Delhi without delay. The Chief Secretary of the Delhi government must take immediate steps to implement the online APMS in Delhi for effective monitoring of actions taken on CAG reports. This is the sentiment of the House, and any negligence in this regard will not be tolerated. It will reduce paperwork and ensure real-time monitoring of ATN submissions. The Finance Department has been directed to present a status report by the first week of April 2025,” he said.
Earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta tabled a CAG report on the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) in the assembly. The report, which focused on operational inefficiencies and financial losses, criticized the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for failing to address key issues. The report evaluated DTC’s operational and financial performance, highlighting areas in need of improvement, including fleet management, revenue generation, and adherence to public transport policies.