Civil Accounts Organization has fulfill the aspirations of the common people:President Of India
A group of 16 probationers of Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) called on the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan today
Addressing the probationers, the President said that the Indian Civil Accounts Service was carved out of the Indian Audit and Accounts Service in 1976 as part of reforms in India’s Public Financial Management System. The idea was to separate statutory audit and accounts at the federal level. The President stated that he was happy to note that the system has worked well. The Civil Accounts Organization has, over the years, progressed in the right direction and has developed systems not only to keep pace with developments in Information and Communication Technology but also to fulfill the aspirations of the common people. The President said that Indian Civil Accounts Service has very rightly chosen its motto ‘Koshpoorvah Samarambhah’ from Kautilya’s ‘Arthashastra’. A strong and well-managed treasury function is the base for all kind of planning in governance and development; and also the outcome of good governance. Today there is a rising expectation among the public for greater efficiency in delivery systems. To address these concerns it is imperative for government departments to modernize their systems and make them citizen-centric. He said that he was happy that the reforms introduced by the organization were in the correct direction.
The President stated that use of modern ICT tools is the key for all government agencies to achieve higher efficiency and make optimum use of available human resources. The Civil Accounts Organization was one of the first organizations in India to have started using computers in government business initially. He said that he had an opportunity to inaugurate the ‘Government e-Payment Gateway’ (GEPG), developed by the Civil Accounts Organization on October 31, 2011 in his capacity as the Finance Minister. The idea behind developing an e-payment system was to eliminate beneficiary-dependence on government offices and officials; and instead directly credit funds into their accounts. With e-payment initiative the Payment Life Cycle has shrunk, thereby improving systemic efficiency.
The ICAS probationers of 2012 batch are presently undergoing training at Institute of Government Accounts and Finance, New Delhi and the ICAS probationers of 2013 batch at National Institute of Financial Management, Faridabad.
Photo Caption
The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee addressing the Probationers of Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) of 2012 & 2013 batch, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on March 14, 2014.