Gandhinagar: To tighten supervision of local self-govt bodies and ensure quicker action against financial irregularities, Gujarat govt on Thursday made it mandatory to hold an “exit conference” immediately after the annual audit of every gram panchayat, taluka panchayat and district panchayat.The new system, introduced through a notification issued by the panchayat and rural housing department on July 28, is aimed at ensuring that serious audit findings translate into fast administrative and disciplinary action instead of remaining pending for months.Under the new mechanism, district development officers (DDOs) have been directed to convene an exit conference as soon as an audit is completed. The meeting, to be chaired by the DDO, will be attended by senior officers of the accounts department, who will present major irregularities detected during the audit for immediate consideration.An official statement said that cases involving embezzlement of public funds, violations in procurement, illegal recruitment, financial misconduct and other significant administrative lapses will be discussed during the conference. Based on the findings, the DDO will be empowered to initiate disciplinary proceedings, order corrective measures or recommend legal action without delay.Govt said the move is intended to make the audit process more outcome-oriented by reducing the time between detection of irregularities and action against those responsible.The statement said govt believes that institutionalising a mandatory post-audit review mechanism will act as a deterrent against corruption and financial mismanagement while strengthening compliance with financial and administrative norms.The state also expects the measure to improve monitoring of public expenditure in rural local bodies and enhance the ability of district authorities to respond swiftly to audit observations.Officials said the reform is aimed at protecting public funds meant for rural development programmes. Faster action against irregularities is expected to improve implementation of projects related to roads, drinking water, sanitation and other essential civic infrastructure while increasing public confidence in the functioning of Panchayati Raj institutions.
