HYDERABAD, JANUARY 21, 20226: A three-day National Workshop for Directorates of Local Fund Audit (DLFAs) and State Audit Departments, organised by the Centre for Internal Audit in Rural Development (CIARD), National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, in collaboration with the International Centre for Audit of Local Governance (iCAL), was held at NIRDPR, Hyderabad, from 19 to 21 January 2026. The workshop aimed at strengthening the institutional framework, professional capacity and audit practices of Primary Auditing Institutions (PAIs) responsible for Local Governments.
The valedictory session was attended by Sanjay Murthy, Comptroller and Auditor General of India; G. Narendra Kumar, Director General, NIRDPR; Manish Kumar, Deputy C&AG; and Sushil Kumar Lohani, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj. H. K. Dharmadarshi, Director General, iCAL, was also present on the occasion. Forty-one officers representing DLFAs, State Audit Departments and ELFAs from 23 States, along with Principal Accountants General and Accountants General from various States, participated in the workshop.
Briefing the gathering on the proceedings, the Workshop Director, Dr. U. Hemantha Kumar, highlighted that the deliberations focused on challenges in Local Fund Audit, assessment of PAI maturity, the CAG’s Technical Guidance and Support (TGS) framework, and experience-sharing on audit planning, reporting and engagement with local bodies.
The Directors of Local Fund Audit from various States deliberated in five thematic group discussions covering PAI maturity, Virtual Audit System, remote audit of Gram Panchayats, standardisation of inspection reports and audit planning, and strengthening TGS through the use of IT, Artificial Intelligence and Computer Assisted Audit Techniques (CAATs). The group presentations underscored the need for simplified and standardised audit frameworks, adoption of technology-enabled and remote audit systems, strengthening follow-up and enforcement mechanisms, and focused capacity building of DLFAs to enhance audit coverage, quality and transparency in local governance.
Interacting with the participants, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India appreciated the presentations made by the groups and stated that the challenges and best practices highlighted by different States would be taken into consideration and presented in the forthcoming All-State Secretaries’ Workshop for appropriate follow-up and systemic improvements.
The workshop concluded with the closing remarks by the Director General, NIRDPR, followed by the felicitation of the dignitaries.
