We have zero tolerance on corruption: AG office

Our Correspondent
Kohima | July 4

“We have Zero Tolerance policy on corruption,” said Kahoto J. Yepthomi, IAAS, Senior Deputy Accountant General (Audit), during a press conference held at the Office of the Principal Accountant General (Accounts & Entitlements), Nagaland, in Kohima on July 4.

He stated that if members of the public have any complaint regarding bribes or corruption, they can write to the Comptroller & Auditor General (C&AG) office, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), or the Lokayukta. “If concrete evidence is given to us, we will make sure that there is no excuse for bribe or corruption. We will definitely take action,” he said.

A notice displayed in the office reads: “Do not pay bribes. If anybody of this office ask for bribe or if you have any information on corruption in this office or if you are a victim of corruption in this office, you can complain to the head of this department, or to the Chief Vigilance Officer, the Superintendent of Police, Central Bureau of Investigation and the Secretary, Central Vigilance Commission.”

The press conference was convened to address issues raised in a recent news report, which the office said could potentially cause misconceptions about its functioning. Principal Accountant General Frederick Syiemlieh, IAAS, Senior DAG (Audit) Kahoto J. Yepthomi, IAAS, and Senior DAG Azhar Jamal, IAAS, jointly addressed the media and explained the roles and responsibilities of the office.

The officials clarified that the pension sanctioning authority for State Government employees is the department under which the employee is serving. They stated that the pension sanctioning authority for employees of the State Government is the Department itself in which the employee is serving. The concerned department is responsible for verifying and completing the pension papers and forwarding them to the Office of the Principal Accountant General (A&E), Nagaland. The AG office then authorises the pension or family pension accordingly.

According to the Citizens’ Charter of the office, the preparation and issuance of Pension Payment Orders is to be completed within 30 working days of receiving pension papers that are complete in all aspects. The office informed that in the last twelve months, it received 3,927 pension cases from various departments. Of these, 2,415 cases were submitted within zero to six months of retirement, 922 cases after seven to twelve months, and 590 cases after a year of retirement. Out of these 3,927 cases, 3,515 were settled within the Citizens’ Charter’s prescribed timeframe of 30 working days.

Yepthomi clarified that the AG office functions under the Comptroller & Auditor General of India. “We are working under the Comptroller & Auditor General of India,” he said. “C&AG is a constitutional authority and is not under any Ministry.” He further clarified that the AG office is not the custodian of state finances. “The state government is the custodian of their own state finances,” he said.

To ensure transparency and accountability, the office stated that details of pensions authorised in a month, along with the name, contact number and email ID of the concerned officer, are displayed on their website and also on the office notice board.

In response to a RTI case, the office stated that the names, designations and contact details of the Public Information Officer and Assistant Public Information Officer are displayed on the website and also at the Reception Cell of the office. Yepthomi added that the office has implemented the RTI Act since October 5, 2005. From 2019 to 2025, the office has received 56 RTI applications. The Principal Accountant General is the Appellate Authority.

The office has made available the names and mobile numbers of the Grievance Redressal Officer and all Branch Officers on its official website. Visitors who wish to meet any officer may do so on any day of the week except Wednesday in the Visitors’ Room.

For grievances related to Accounts and Entitlements, such as General Provident Fund and Pension, applicants may submit their complaints online under the Complaint/Suggestion section of the State AG website. Alternatively, complaints may be lodged directly by email at agaenagaland@cag.gov.in. In case the response is not satisfactory, the applicant may escalate the grievance to the Senior Administrative Officer (Complaint) in the C&AG office at grstate2@cag.gov.in or through the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS). For other issues, individuals may use the “Contact Us” tab on the State AG website.

Responding to a question on allegations that members of the public were not allowed access beyond the entry point to check their files, Yepthomi said that the office had imposed the restriction because middlemen used to come on behalf of five to ten people at a time and affect the functioning of the office. However, he clarified that except on Wednesdays, the office is open to genuine pensioners, government employees and their dependants. “Whoever has genuine grievance, they have every right to come and clarify their doubts,” he said.

He also said that a Grievance and Redressal Cell has been put in place to facilitate access and accountability. Regarding the RTI mechanism, he reiterated that the office had notified the RTI Act in 2005 and has a designated Public Information Officer and Assistant Public Information Officer.

He added that with the help of the state government, the office has digitised all pension papers and follows all applicable pension rules, as well as state government regulations. In addition to pension-related matters, the office maintains General Provident Fund accounts. Yepthomi informed that the office has settled 10,059 GPF cases in the last five years.