Controller General of Defence Accounts Vandana Srivastava inaugurated the new building of the Accounts Officer (R&D) at NSTL in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.
The dedicated office was provided at the doorstep of NSTL and though it was small at present the functioning was very important, she said. It would cover not only the NSTL but a few other organisations and also audit the pay and accounts of 700 personnel. Ms. Srivastava said it would expand in future with the coming up of the Director General, Naval Systems and Materials, in Visakhapatnam. With the expansion of activities the Accounts Office needed better accommodation. She appreciated DRDO gesture for considering the need for a better office.
Defence Accounts is the oldest department in the Government of India auditing payments, accounts and defence R&D expenditure and financial audit.
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NSTL Director C. Durga Malleswar said a virtual short circuit was required among various organisations in view of the increased activity at NSTL and competitive time schedules.
More projects In the initial stages NSTL had less outlay and less projects with long gestation period and the challenges were a few, he said. But now there were more projects and instead of competing with the best, the best was expected from NSTL, Mr. Malleswar said. Instead of 14 years earlier, the project had to be delivered in three to five years. Controller of Defence Accounts (R&D) A. Ramayya said 82 per cent of the Rs.2,619 crore spent in 2013-14 had been accounted for. DRDO has 26 laboratories and seven programmes, he said.
The office here will cover NSTL, the Ship Building Centre and HAL at Sunabeda.
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