STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Assam Legislative Assembly speaker Biswajit Daimary, praised the Indian Audit and Accounts Department (IA&AD) for upholding transparency and accountability while attending the Closing Ceremony of Audit Week 2025 as Chief Guest at the Guwahati Medical College Auditorium on Friday. He said the department’s rigorous methods had long contributed to reinforcing democratic governance.
Audit Diwas 2025 had been observed on November 16 at the CAG Office in New Delhi, commemorating the appointment of India’s first Auditor General in 1860. The subsequent period, from November 23 to 28, was marked as Audit Week 2025 across all IA&AD field establishments, celebrating 166 years of safeguarding public finances.
In Guwahati, personnel from the Offices of the Accountant General (Audit) and Accountant General (A&E), Assam, the Principal Director of Audit (Railways), Maligaon, and the Branch Office of the Director General of Audit, Kolkata, took part in a series of events. These included an art competition, walkathon, debates and quizzes, workshops, training sessions, and outreach activities aimed at improving audit awareness, enhancing professional skills, and deepening public engagement.
Staff members received training on modern techniques during a session on emerging tools in remote audit, while outreach initiatives were held at Dibrugarh Zilla Parishad, Lalit Chandra Bharali College, and Pandu College to promote audit literacy. The Accountant General (Audit), Assam also organized a workshop on the implementation of the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act in Assam, which brought together municipal representatives, senior state officials, and the Director of Social Audit, Assam, for discussions on urban governance and decentralization.
Meanwhile, the Office of AG (A&E), Assam held a Pension and GPF Samadhan Sabha and a capacity-building session at the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Darrang. The programme, attended by nearly 70 officers, retirees, and the Deputy Commissioner, aimed to streamline pension procedures and accelerate the clearance of pending benefits.
A significant development during the week came with a high-level conference on enhancing audit performance, convened by the Chairman of the Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU) on the initiative of the Speaker. Held on November 28 amid the ongoing Assembly session, the meeting drew senior stakeholders, including the Accountant General (Audit), Assam, as a special invitee.
The Closing Ceremony of Audit Week 2025, led by Kumar Abhay, IAAS, Accountant General (Audit), Assam, highlighted the theme “Guardian of the Public Purse.” The event underscored the audit function’s shift from traditional oversight to a tool of reform and innovation, with a renewed emphasis on citizen-centred auditing and better service delivery. Additional Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General (NER), C. H. Kharshiing, attended as Guest of Honour alongside scholars, dignitaries, and senior officers.
The Speaker commended IA&AD’s thorough audit reporting and acknowledged its support to Legislative Assembly Committees in examining CAG reports. He also expressed appreciation for the Accountant General (A&E), Assam, for presenting the State Finance and Appropriation Accounts and for providing essential services to government employees.
Cultural performances featuring classical and folk dances, drama, choral music, and jugalbandi concluded the ceremony, followed by the distribution of prizes for the week’s competitions. The programme closed with a Vote of Thanks from Dr Gaurav Kumar, IAAS, Accountant General (A&E), Assam, marking the end of Audit Week 2025 in Guwahati.