Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA)

Why in news?

Shri Vishvajit Sahay, a 1990-batch officer of the Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS) takes charge as Controller General of Defence Accounts.

• The CGDA is the head of the Indian Defence Accounts Department (DAD), acts as the Principal Accounting Officer for the Ministry of Defence.
• Responsibilities –Financial management, internal audit, accounting, and pension disbursement for the country's armed forces and other defence organizations.

Key functions & responsibilities

• Primary role– To ensure efficient and transparent financial management within the defence sector.
• Financial Advice – Providing expert financial advice to the Ministry of Defence on all matters relating to the financial management of the defence budget, including acquisition processes.
• Payments – Ensuring the timely and accurate payment of salaries, allowances, pensions to armed forces personnel, defence civilians and payments to vendors for supplies and services.
• Accounting – Managing & maintaining the complex financial records and accounts for all defence expenditures and receipts.
• Internal Audit – Ensuring accountability, transparency, and compliance with financial rules and regulations in defence spending.
• Pension Management – Sanctioning and disbursing pensions to defence pensioners through modern systems like SPARSH (System for Pension Administration - Raksha).
• Reporting – Preparing the annual consolidated accounts of Defence Services and providing an Annual Audit Certificate to the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG), then tabled in the Indian Parliament.

References

1. PIB | Vishvajit Sahay takes charge as CGDA
2. CGDA | Defence Accounts Department