India's public accounts watchdogs have agreed to work to one common rulebook. The two-day Conference of Chairpersons of Public Accounts Committees of Parliament and the State and Union Territory legislatures concluded in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday, November 4 with the unanimous adoption of the 'Keralam Resolution', attended by representatives from 27 states, The Hindu BusinessLine reported.

Source: The Hindu BusinessLine

The eight-point agreement focuses on establishing digital monitoring systems such as the Audit Para Monitoring System (APMS), creating a centralised peer-learning portal, standardising timelines for Action Taken Notes, and deepening collaboration with the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG). It also calls for the use of advanced forensic tools to identify high-risk areas of governance that need immediate legislative oversight.

To clear legislative backlogs, state PACs are encouraged to meet at least three times a month and to establish dedicated sub-committees, while committee secretariats will receive enhanced analytical training to handle complex financial reviews.

Delivering the valedictory address, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla called for a common digital Audit Monitoring Platform for state legislatures on the lines of the platform available to the committees of Parliament, saying it would facilitate systematic monitoring of audit observations, strengthen follow-up mechanisms and ensure the timely examination and disposal of audit reports, ANI reported.

Source: ANI

Speaker Birla reiterated that public funds must be deployed with maximum efficiency and transparency, and noted the urgent need to address long-standing delays in resolving Audit Paras and reports — emphasising that while the Executive implements policy, the Legislature holds the duty to monitor its execution.

Lok Sabha PAC Chairperson K. C. Venugopal described the conference as one of the most meaningful meetings of the committee system to date. He said the three chronic delay points — the time taken to complete audits, to submit audit reports, and to report the action taken on findings — were discussed in detail and a clear way forward was arrived at.

Source: ANI

The conference was held on the theme 'Audit, Accountability, and Good Governance — The Evolving Role of the PAC'. The PAC is Parliament's oldest financial committee: it examines whether public money was spent for the purpose Parliament approved, and its reports are the main legislative check on government expenditure after the fact. The resolution will serve as a guiding framework for PACs of Parliament and the state legislatures in the years ahead, the Speaker said.