CAG to conduct performance audit of new and renewable energy sector
Updated: Sep 24, 2013 03:05:17pm
New Delhi, Sept 24 (KNN) The office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India will conduct a performance audit of the New and Renewable Energy sector shortly, in the backdrop of the increasing demand for energy.
The audit will be done keeping in view the tremendous growth potential of renewable energy and its growing importance to the economy and well-being of the population at large, according to Comptroller and Auditor General of India (C&AG), Shashi Kant Sharma, who was addressing a stakeholders’ workshop here today.
The stakeholders’ seminar was a precursor to the all India performance audit exercise, in an effort to understand and take into consideration concerns and challenges that stakeholders face in promoting and developing new and renewable energy in the country.
Having had considerable experience in undertaking performance audit, CAG has always provided an independent assessment of any entity, be it a programme or organisation with regard to its efficiency and effectiveness, keeping in mind the economy.
Further, “The CAG of India decided to subject its Performance Audit practices to an international peer review by a team consisting of representatives from Supreme Audit Institutions of Australia, Canada, Denmark, The Netherlands and United States of America. The International Peer Review Report has acknowledged that the practices followed by CAG of India in relation to performance audit are conceptually sound and adhere to applicable standards,” Sharma told participants of the workshop.
The report when completed would provide the Centre and states an independent, credible, balanced and timely report on the design and delivery of programmes that are intended to meet the goals of the government in this sector.
Given the current electricity supply shortages, and huge quantities of diesel and furnace oil being used by all sectors – industrial, commercial, institutional or residential, the audit is certainly timely.
Sharma also spoke about the shortage of rural lighting which has led to large-scale use of kerosene, which is also required in huge quantities for heating across the Himalayas, including the defence sector.
“This needs to be reduced drastically, as this is leading to enormous cost, in the form of budgetary subsidies, increasing the country’s import dependence, in addition to increasing environmental concerns. Dependence on huge import of oil and coal, would seriously challenge India's energy security,” Sharma said.
He also pointed to the fact that a very large segment of population was still dependent on traditional biomass fuel like firewood, wood chips, cow-dung etc for cooking. Being a great health hazard, it cannot be allowed to continue further.
Senior officials of MNRE and CAG, a range of stakeholders, including regulatory agencies, 11 State nodal agencies, PSUs like NTPC, NVVN, NABARD Associations in Solar and Wind Energy, NGOs, IIT Roorkee and subject matter experts from the sector participated in the one day workshop. (KNN/ES)
The audit will be done keeping in view the tremendous growth potential of renewable energy and its growing importance to the economy and well-being of the population at large, according to Comptroller and Auditor General of India (C&AG), Shashi Kant Sharma, who was addressing a stakeholders’ workshop here today.
The stakeholders’ seminar was a precursor to the all India performance audit exercise, in an effort to understand and take into consideration concerns and challenges that stakeholders face in promoting and developing new and renewable energy in the country.
Having had considerable experience in undertaking performance audit, CAG has always provided an independent assessment of any entity, be it a programme or organisation with regard to its efficiency and effectiveness, keeping in mind the economy.
Further, “The CAG of India decided to subject its Performance Audit practices to an international peer review by a team consisting of representatives from Supreme Audit Institutions of Australia, Canada, Denmark, The Netherlands and United States of America. The International Peer Review Report has acknowledged that the practices followed by CAG of India in relation to performance audit are conceptually sound and adhere to applicable standards,” Sharma told participants of the workshop.
The report when completed would provide the Centre and states an independent, credible, balanced and timely report on the design and delivery of programmes that are intended to meet the goals of the government in this sector.
Given the current electricity supply shortages, and huge quantities of diesel and furnace oil being used by all sectors – industrial, commercial, institutional or residential, the audit is certainly timely.
Sharma also spoke about the shortage of rural lighting which has led to large-scale use of kerosene, which is also required in huge quantities for heating across the Himalayas, including the defence sector.
“This needs to be reduced drastically, as this is leading to enormous cost, in the form of budgetary subsidies, increasing the country’s import dependence, in addition to increasing environmental concerns. Dependence on huge import of oil and coal, would seriously challenge India's energy security,” Sharma said.
He also pointed to the fact that a very large segment of population was still dependent on traditional biomass fuel like firewood, wood chips, cow-dung etc for cooking. Being a great health hazard, it cannot be allowed to continue further.
Senior officials of MNRE and CAG, a range of stakeholders, including regulatory agencies, 11 State nodal agencies, PSUs like NTPC, NVVN, NABARD Associations in Solar and Wind Energy, NGOs, IIT Roorkee and subject matter experts from the sector participated in the one day workshop. (KNN/ES)
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