Mysuru: Probably for the first time, the District Administration has constituted Accounts and Auditing Committees to monitor Dasara expenditure. The Committees will have powers and jurisdiction to oversee all the expenditure during the festival including crores of rupees spent by the 16 Dasara Sub-Committees.

In a press release, Deputy Commissioner D. Randeep, who is also the Dasara Special Officer, has said that the money will be released by the High-Powered Dasara Committee to all the Sub-Committees and both the Accounts and Auditing Committees will monitor and micro-manage the expenses. As there is no post of a permanent Auditing Officer at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office, Zilla Panchayat Chief Auditor will be temporarily deputed as the Dasara Audit Officer till the festival concludes, the statement issued by the Deputy Commissioner said.

The Officer will examine the pending expenditure bills of 2016 and report to the Additional Deputy Commissioner and the Deputy Commissioner.

The Audit Officer will also have the powers to monitor the money sanctioned to the sub-committees this year and will examine the budget proposals and seek accounts, bills and other details from the sub-committees, the DC’s statement added.

Speaking to Star of Mysore this morning, Mysuru Deputy Commissioner D. Randeep said that all these years, the accounts of Dasara money sanctioned and expenditure list was with the Deputy Commissioner. “To ensure transparency and to see to it that funds are not misused, we have decided to constitute Accounting and Auditing Committees,” he said.

“This time, we are centralising Dasara expenditure and all the files, accounts and bills will be stored at the DCs Office.

All money spent will be accounted for and the public can seek information using RTI in case of doubts, the DC said. He added that the decision of constituting the committees was taken at the meeting chaired by Dasara Special Officer and Deputy Commissioner that was held on Aug. 10.

As per the communication by the DC, the Accounting Committee will be headed by Nagaraja Murthy, Chief Accounts Officer, Zilla Panchayat Mysuru who has now been appointed as Dasara Audit Officer. He can be contacted on mobile number 9480873003. Other members of the committee are ZP Auditor G. Sannegowda, ZP Accounts Superintendent Mohan Kumar and Accounts Assistant Raja Nayak.

The Auditing Committee is headed by Siddagangamma, Joint Director, Local Audit Circle, Mysuru. She can be contacted on mobile number 9148539024. Other members of the committee are Auditors from Local Audit Circle, Mysuru Nagashetty, Rangaiah and Krishnanayak.