Economy hit by Covid, make best use of resources: President Ram Nath Kovind

Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 18

President Ram Nath Kovind today said that in the trying times of Covid pandemic, scarce resources should be put to the best possible use for the welfare of the poor and needy.

He was speaking at the valedictory ceremony of the Indian Audit and Accounts Service Officer Trainees of 2018 and 2019 batches at the National Academy of Audit and Accounts here. First lady Savita Kovind, Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur were also present.

The President said that the past 18 months had been very trying for the country, as the pandemic had hit the economy hard. “The government has taken various fiscal measures to alleviate distress, often financed through money borrowed from our children and grandchildren, thus necessitating its proper use,” he said.

Kovind said that audit engagements provided a unique opportunity for gaining a deep understanding of the system and suggesting improvements. “The governments take serious note of the advice of the CAG, which positively impacts our public service delivery standards,” he added.

The President said that for citizens’ convenience, government processes were increasingly getting digitalised and the fast expanding technology frontier had reduced the distance between the state and the citizens. “Through direct benefit transfer, the money can reach the poorest of poor even in the remotest corner of the country at the push of a computer button. From the audit perspective, this is a small challenge but a huge opportunity,” he added.

He said that the sylvan surroundings of the National Academy of Audit and Accounts were a great place for learning pursuits. “These surroundings also teach us of a very onerous responsibility of leaving the same pristine nature for our future generations to enjoy,” he added.

“We must always remember that the constraints of resource finiteness can only be partly addressed by human innovation. For the rest, sacrifice by our generation is the only recourse. CAG has a big role to play in making us aware of the sacrifices we need to make for our future generations,” he said.

The President said that the independence enshrined in the Constitution was something to be cherished and all young officers need to fully imbibe these qualities. Comptroller and Auditor General of India Girish Chandra Murmu welcomed the President, Governor and the Chief Minister on the occasion. Director General of the National Academy of Audit and Accounts Sunil S. Dadhe detailed various activities being undertaken at the academy.