Audit Reports
Bihar
Report of 2009 - Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (State Finances) for the year ended 31st March 2009 Government of Bihar
Overview
In response to the Twelfth Finance Commission's recommendations, the Bihar Government enacted its Fiscal Responsibilities and Budget Management (FRBM) Act, entitled the Bihar Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2006 with a view to ensure prudence in fiscal management and fiscal stabilities by progressive elimination of revenue deficit, sustainable debt management consistent with fiscal stability, greater transparency in fiscal operations of the Government and conduct of fiscal policy in a medium-term fiscal framework. The state Government's commitment to carry forward these reforms is largely reflected in the policy initiatives announced in its subsequent budgets. The benefits of FRBM legislation have been realized to a great extent already, in terms of reduction in deficit indicators.
The State Government has done well in establishing an institutional mechanism on fiscal transparency and accountability as evident from the year-on-year presentation of data on State finances. This data, however, does not give the big picture of the status of financial management including the debt position, off-budget liabilities, cash management etc. for the benefit of the State Legislature and other stakeholders.
The Comptroller and Auditor General's Audit Reports have been commenting upon the Government's finance for over three years since the FRBM legislation. Since these comments formed part of the Civil Audit Reports, it was felt that the audit findings on State finances remained camouflaged because the majority of audit findings were on compliance and performance aspects. The obvious fallout of the all-inclusive reporting was that the audit findings on financial management did not receive proper attention. In recognition of the need to bring the State finances to centre-stage, a stand-alone report on State Government finances was considered an appropriate audit response to this challenge. Accordingly, from the report year 2009 onwards, the Comptroller and Auditor General has decided to bring out a separate volume titled 'Report on Finance'.