Application has been filed by me under the Right to Information Act, 2005 in the matters concerning empanelment of auditors and allotment of audits of co-operative societies including co-operative banks

Application has been filed by me under the  Right to Information Act, 2005 in the matters concerning empanelment of auditors and allotment of audits of co-operative societies including co-operative banks. 

 

In the empanelment of auditors for allotment of audits of co-operative societies and co-operative banks  there is lack of required transparency and  objectivity is not there. For maintaining quality of audits, it is absolutely necessary that audits are allotted absolutely on merits and for no other considerations.  Allotments of audits also mean professional opportunities to the auditors and pecuniary gains. An allotment conferring pecuniary gains has to be transparent and objective as otherwise vested interests develop to share the gains of allotment leading to corruption.

The prime object of the RTI Act, 2005 is to eradicate and reduce corruption. RTI Act is based on an accepted analogy that providing information to the citizens would make the  administration more transparent,  transparency would lead to greater accountability and that in turn would  lead to good governance.  Very object of empanelment and allotment based on empanelment is to ensure that the audits are allotted on comparative merits. That criteria of such comparative merits were really applied or not would be seen only when the relevant information is placed in public domain.

 

Earlier in the past, initiating actions under the RTI Act, on the basis of information obtained, I had successfully and in person represented cases in Hon’ble Bombay High Court obtaining directions of transparency and objectivity in empanelments for and allotment of audits of bank branches in the country;  co-operative banks and co-operative societies in the State of Maharashtra. My aim in initiating this action under the RTI Act is to bringg transparency and objectivity in the process of empanelment for and allotment of audits of co-operative societies and co-operative banks by the concerned departments in the State of Gujrat which is the home State of the applicant.

 

Interested auditors are entitled to know :

How the Panel of auditors was formed i.e. the process under which  the applications for empanelment were invited, criteria were announced, deadlines were set and relevant information was announced, eligibility criteria for such empanelments, No. of  auditors listed on panel of auditors, criteria and categorization norms applied for allotments etc.

 

In my this effort to bring transparency and objectivity in empanelment of auditors and allotment of audits, I earnestly seek the co-operation of the interested members. I also request to send to me as much information as you may have in connection with the subject matter.  Action under RTI is only the first step to be  followed by subsequent steps till the desired objective is achieved.

 

Regards,

CA. Ghia Tarun Jamnadas