Audit Reports
Punjab
Report No. -1 of 2011-12 Government of Punjab - Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on State Finances
Overview
This report on the Finance of the Government of Punjab is being brought out to assess the financial performance of the State during the year 2011-12. In order to give a perspective to the analysis, an effort has been made to compare the achievements with the targets envisaged by the State Government in the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2003 as amended further by Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Amendment) Act, 2011 as well as in the Budget estimates of 2011-12.
Earlier (i.e. upto report year 2008), comments of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on the Government's finances formed part of the Audit Report (Civil). It was felt that the audit findings on State finances remained camouflaged in the large body of audit findings on compliance and performance audits. The inevitable fallout of this well-intentioned but all-inclusive reporting was that the financial management portion of these findings did not receive proper attention. A stand-alone report on the State Government finances was considered an appropriate audit response to bring State finances to center-stage. Accordingly, from the report year 2009 onwards, Comptroller and Auditor General of India has decided to bring out a separate volume titled "Report on State Finances". This is the fourth edition of this endeavor.
The Report based on the audited accounts of the Government of Punjab for the year ended 31 March 2012, this report provides an analytical review of the Annual Accounts of the State Government. The report is structured in three Chapters. Chapter 1 is based on the audit of Finance Accounts and makes an assessment of the Punjab Government's fiscal position as on 31 March 2012. It provides an insight into the trends in receipts and expenditure, committed expenditure, borrowing pattern, fiscal imbalances etc., besides a brief account of central funds released directly to the State implementing agencies through off-budget route. Chapter 2 is based on the audit of Appropriation Accounts and it gives the grant-wise description of appropriations and the manner in which the allocated resources were managed by the service delivery departments. Chapter 3 is report on the Punjab Government's compliance with various reporting requirements and financial rules. The report also has an appendage of additional data collected from several sources in support of the findings.