Chandigarh, May 9 (PTI) To ensure transparency and boost accountability in public expenditure, the Haryana government has decided to establish a new department named the Directorate of State Audit.

The new department will function under the administrative control of the Finance Department.

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A decision to this effect was taken in a meeting of the Haryana Cabinet on Tuesday evening, which met here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, according to an official statement.

In another decision, the cabinet accorded approval to the Haryana Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023, for amendment in the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994, and Haryana Municipal Act, 1973. The amendment allows for reservation in seats for the Backward Classes 'A' in every municipality.

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In a meeting on Monday, the cabinet accepted the State Backward Classes Commission's report on the proportion of reservation for the communities in urban local body elections.

The Directorate of State Audit will conduct internal audit of all auditable entity such as all the departments, boards, corporations, co-operative societies, universities, local authorities, statutory bodies, public institutions and other authorities established, controlled or financed by the state government, non-government organizations which receive grant-in-aid or contribution from the state government.

Besides, the entities that receive money from the state government in any form including organisations which receive funds from the consolidated fund of the state will also be audited, said the statement.

The cabinet also accorded approval regarding allotment of a piece of land of the Rohtak municipal corporation on lease to Gaur Brahman Vidya Pracharini Sabha for 33 years. The issue had been hanging fire for several months and the chief minister had said a fresh lease agreement will be done.

According to the statement, Gaur Brahman Vidya Pracharini Sabha is a registered organisation and has been actively running educational institutions for over 100 years. The proposed land will be utilised by the Sabha for extension of existing educational institutions.

The cabinet also accorded approval for establishing six new sub-divisions Manesar (Gurugram), Nilokheri (Karnal), Israna (Panipat), Chhachhrauli (Yamunanagar), Nangal Chaudhary (Mahendergarh at Narnaul), and Julana (Jind), with an aim to enhance accessibility to citizen services and improving the delivery of services to its residents.

The cabinet also approved amendments in Haryana Agri-Business and Food Processing Policy-2018 and its incentives schemes, which will help to achieve the desired policy objectives and provide impetus for creating a vibrant food processing ecosystem as well as increasing the farmers income in the state, said the statement.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)