Introduction and brief history of the office
Office of the Principal Director of Audit, Indian Accounts Washington DC is housed in Chancery II building of the Embassy of India located at 2536 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington DC, 20008 USA.
Before Independence
In 1858, under the Act C VI of the British Parliament, the post of “Auditor of the Accounts of the Secretary of the State in Council” was created to “examine and audit the Accounts of the Receipt, Expenditure and Disposal in Great Britain of all monies, stores and properties applicable for the purposes of that Act”. Name of the Post was subsequently changed to “Auditor of India home Accounts” under the Government of India Act, 1935 and the Government of India (Audit and Accounts) Order 1936. The Auditor was appointed by the Governor General of India and was required to audit transactions in the United Kingdom affecting the revenues of the Central Government or any of its Provinces. The India (Provisional Constitution) Order 1947 provided that the person holding office of Auditor immediately before 15th August 1947 should continue, until such date as the Governor General may specify, to perform the same duties and exercise the same powers.
After Independence
In July 1950, the then CAG Shri V. Narahari Rao conducted a feasibility study, of opening an Audit Office in Washington DC for effective audit of Government expenditure in USA. Based on the report, CAG approved the setting up of an Audit Office headed by a senior IAAS Officer designated as Audit Officer Indian Accounts, Washington DC with effect from August 1951. The office was entrusted with audit of the accounts of Indian Embassy in Washington DC, including its attached offices, such as the Indian Information Services, Military Attaché , Air Attaché, the India Supply Mission etc and also local audit of the office in the two Americas. Shri G. Mathias was the first to hold the post of Audit Officer, Indian Accounts, Washington DC. He was assisted by one Assistant Audit Officer, four SAS Accountants, one Clerk, one Typist, one Secretary and one Messenger. The Audit Officer was re-designated as Director of Audit with effect from January 1962. The Office was further upgraded to office of Principal Director with effect from February 2002.
