Chandigarh, June 7 -- Committees of Haryana assembly have raised serious concerns over the delays by government departments in submitting replies to audit paras of reports of the comptroller and auditor general (CAG), public accounts committee (PAC) and committee on public undertakings (CoPU), leading to significant backlogs. A communication from the Haryana finance department on June 5 highlighted the assembly committees have expressed concern about the incomplete and factually incorrect replies to the paras in CAG, PAC and CoPU reports. In response, the finance department has asked the government departments to respond to the audit paras without further delay. "This needs settlement at the earliest,'' the communication said. The FD report also pointed out that the 91st report of the PAC pointed out there were 1,653 recommendations that are still pending, awaiting final implementation. Similarly, the 71st CoPU report identified that there were 265 recommendations yet to be addressed. Financial accountability of the executive to the legislature is ensured through a system of assembly committees. The three key financial committees - the PAC, the CoPU and Committee on estimates are set up under the Haryana assembly's rules of procedure. These committees examine government expenditures to ensure funds are used in accordance with legal and financial norms. They also evaluate the efficiency of project implementations and whether they meet their intended goals. The finance department (FD) in its communication said the government departments were not following the instructions issued from time and again on the subject. "Non-compliance of these instructions not only piled up arrears of the recommendations or paras of PAC, CoPU reports but also hampered the work of PAC and CoPU causing unnecessary embarrassment to the government,'' the FD wrote. The finance department expressed regret that the government departments have not adhered to the recommendations of the Shakdhar Committee, accepted by Haryana in 1995. The committee had recommended that replies to all audit paras should be sent within three months at the level of administrative departments. Additionally, the committee had recommended that draft paras be submitted to the Principal Accountant General (PAG) within six weeks "Replies of all draft paras are required to be sent to the PAG (audit), Haryana, within six weeks by the administrative department and not by any subordinate office. Evidence and examination by the committees should not be postponed in any circumstances. The administrative secretaries are requested to attend the meetings as and when desired by the PAC, CoPU and estimates committee,'' the FD said. The finance department has also directed that any cases of financial misappropriation or irregularities identified by the PAG must be investigated and resolved quickly, adding that prompt corrective action must be taken to prevent the recurrence of such issues in the future. The instructions said that when irregularities are discovered through inspection reports, draft paras from the PAG or CAG, or other investigations, the departments must initiate immediate action. The communication made it clear that if timely action is not taken, stern measures would be imposed on the officers responsible for the delay....