RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT, 2005

 

            The Right to Information Act is aimed to promote openness, transparency and accountability in Administration.  The details about office of Chief Adviser Cost are as follows :-

 

1. Office of Chief Adviser Cost

 

Office of the Chief Adviser Cost (CAC) is responsible for advising the Ministries and Government Undertakings on cost accounts matters and to undertake cost investigation work on their behalf.  Office of Chief Adviser Cost is one of the divisions functioning in the Department of Expenditure. It is a professional agency staffed by Cost/Chartered Accountants.

 

            Chief Adviser Cost Office, is dealing with matters relating to costing and pricing, industry level studies for determining fair prices, studies on user charges, central excise abatement matters, cost-benefit analysis of projects, studies on cost reduction, cost efficiency \ appraisal of capital intensive projects, profitability analysis and application of modern management tools evolving cost and commercial financial accounting for Ministries/Department of Government of India. 

 

            It was set up as an independent agency of the Central Government to verify the cost of production and to determine the fair selling price for Government Departments including Defence purchases in respect of the cases referred to. The role of the office was further enlarged and extended to fixing prices for a number of products covered under the Essential Commodities Act, such as, Petroleum, Steel, Coal, Cement, etc. under the Administered Price Mechanism (APM). Since cost/pricing work in the Ministries increased significantly, various other Ministries/Departments started to have their in house expertise by seeking posting of officers for work needing expertise in cost/commercial accounts matters.  In the Post liberalization era, the office is receiving and conducting studies in synchronization with the liberalization policy of the Government in addition to the traditional areas of cost-price studies.

 

            Chief Adviser Cost’s Office is also cadre controlling office for the Indian Cost Accounts Service (ICoAS) up to Adviser (Cost) level and looks after training requirements of the officers for continuous up-gradation of their knowledge in addition to rendering professional guidance to the ICoAS officers working in different participating organizations.

 

 

2. Powers and Duties of Officers & Employees of CAC

 

a)         As per allocation of Business Rules, 1961:

 

          “To advise Ministries and Government Undertakings on Cost Accounts Matters and attending to Cost investigations work on their behalf”

 

b)         The major areas of professional functions of the office of the Chief Adviser Cost are as under:

1.      Assisting all Central Government Ministries / Departments / Organizations in undertaking Price / Cost related issues, in fixing fair prices for various services/products and rendering advice to various Ministries/Departments in cost matters.

 

2.      Examination / Verification of claims between Government Departments / Public Sector undertakings and suppliers arising out of purchase contracts.

 

3.      Determining prices of products and services supplied to Government, in order to enable Government Departments to negotiate the prices with the supplying organizations.

 

4.      Unit specific as well as industry level studies for determining cost and to determine reasonableness of prices charged,/fair prices and making recommendations for fair prices / rates for products and user charges for services, revision of these charges and duty structure, etc.

 

5.      Valuation of assets and liabilities of business taken over and shares of public sector undertakings.

 

6.      Functioning as Chairman/Members of Committee constituted by Government / different Departments related to Cost/financial and Pricing matters.

 

7.      Cost and performance audit of industrial undertaking.

 

8.      Concurrent Internal cost audit of Escalations claims of urea manufacturing units determined by Fertilizer Industry Coordination Committee.

 

9.      Subsidy determination and verification of claims.

 

10.  Cost Accounting System for departmental undertakings / Autonomous bodies.

 

11.  Time and Cost Overruns of major projects.  Efficiency and Competitiveness studies.

 

12.   Arbitrator in resolving pricing disputes.

 

13.   Advise on matters relating to determination of Abatement Rate for purposes of Central Excise.

    

 

3.         The Procedure followed in decision making process

 

            Functions of Office of Chief Adviser Cost are advisory in nature.  Duties include conducting studies / expert advice on receipt of reference from various Ministries/Departments.  The duties are discharged by carrying out field visits, in-depth examination and analysis of cost data etc.  and thereafter, the reports/recommendations are sent to the wherever required  respective Ministries/Departments.  Being a recommendatory body, it  is for the concerned Ministries to take decision on the recommendations of the Office of Chief Adviser Cost. 

 

4. The norms for the discharge of its functions

 

            Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, Accounting Standards, Cost Accounting Standards and prevalent statutory laws are adhered to in arriving at cost/ price of  product/ service. Further, In order to bring transparency and avoid arbitrariness , concerned organizations are involved as required during the course of study.

 

5. The Rules, Regulations, Manuals and records, held by the office of Chief Adviser Cost or under its control

 

            Office of Chief Adviser Cost follows the rules regulations, instructions etc. issued by DOP&T from time to time in service matters.  Recommendations/suggestions made by Office of Chief Adviser Cost are within the framework of instructions / guidelines issued by the Government from time to time.

 

6. Statement of Categories of documents that are held by the office of Chief Adviser Cost

 

The documents/ reports  held are confidential in nature in respect of the studies  carried out by Office of Chief Adviser Cost, on behalf of Ministries/Departments.

 

7. Particulars of any arrangement that exists for consultation with or representation by the members of public in relation to formulation of its policy or its implementation

 

Since, the studies referred by Ministry/Department  are dealt with, representation by the members of public is at the concerned Ministry level.

 

8. Boards, Councils, Committees and other bodies consisting of two or more persons constituted as its part or for the purpose of its advice, and as to whether meeting of those boards, councils, committees and other bodies are open to public, or the minutes of such meetings are accessible to public

           

              Not Applicable

 

9.         Directory of Officers & Employees

 

Sl. No.

Full Name

Designation

Telephone No.

Email id

1

D. C. Bajaj

Additional Chief Adviser (Cost)

24698522

dcbajaj.icoas@nic.in

2

Aruna Sethi

Adviser (Cost)

24693749

arunasethi.icoas@nic.in

3

P.K. Aggarwal

Adviser (Cost)

24618906

pkaggarwal.icoas@nic.in

4

K. Sheshaiah

Director (Cost)

24644893

ksheshaiah.icoas@nic.in

5

Devendra Kumar

Director (Cost)

24698435

devendrakumar.icoas@nic.in

6

T.S. Krishnamachari

Director (Cost)

24698435

tskchari.icoas@nic.in

7

Geeta Chhabra

Director (Cost)

24617075

geetachhabra.icoas@nic.in

8

L.M. Kaushal

Director (Cost)

24694021

lmkaushal.icoas@nic.in

9

B. Bandopadhyay

Joint Director

24644893

 

10

Chunnilal Ghosh

Asst Director (Cost)

033-22481088

chunnilalghosh.icoas@nic.in

11

Rajesh K. Agrawal

Asst Director (Cost)

24692541

rajeshkagrawal.icoas@nic.in

12

Arun Diwan

Asst Director (Cost)

24653487

 

13

Naresh Arya

Asst Director (Cost)

24653487

narya.icoas@nic.in

14

Ajay kumar

Asst Director (Cost)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Administration

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15

Narender Prakash

Section Officer

24693895

16

Lalit Kumar

Assistant

24693895

17

K.R. Sharma

Assistant

24693895

 

18

Sanat Naskar

UDC

24693895

 

 

 

 

 

 

Personal Staff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

19

S.K. Choudhary

PPS to ACA

24698522

 

20

Mahendra Kumar

PPS

 

 

21

Renuka

PS

 

22

Shanta Sharma

PS

23

Rekha Madhok

PS

24

Suman Chhinoria

PS

 

25

Monica

PA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10.        Monthly remuneration received of Officers & Employees

 

            The scales of pay in respect of various officers are as follows:-

 

Sl. No.

Name of Post

Sanctioned  Strength

 Existing Strength

Scale of pay

1

Chief Adviser (Cost)

1

0

Rs.80000

2

Addl Chief Adviser (Cost)

1

1

Rs.75500-80000

3

Adviser (Cost)

2

2

Rs.37400-67000 +GP-Rs.10000

4

Director (Cost)

6

5

Rs.37400-67000 +GP-Rs.8700

5

Joint Director (Cost)

 

 

Rs.15600-39100 +GP-Rs.7600

6

Deputy Director (Cost)

22

-

Rs.15600-39100 + GP-Rs.6600

7

Assistant Director (Cost)

8

5

Rs.15600-39100 + GP-Rs.5400

8

Section Officer

1

1

Rs.9300-34800 + GP-Rs.4800

9

Private Secretary(SG)

3

1

Rs.9300-34800 + GP-Rs.5400

10

Private Secretary

 

 

Rs.9300-34800 + GP-Rs.4800

11

Assistant

2

3

Rs.9300-34800 + GP-Rs.4200

12

PA

7

5

Rs.9300-34800 + GP-Rs.4200

13

Steno-D

4

1

Rs.5200-20200 + GP-Rs.2400

14

UDC

2

0

Rs.5200-20200 + GP-Rs.2400

15

LDC

1

0

Rs.5200-20200 + GP-Rs.1900

16

SCD

1

1

Rs.5200-20200 + GP-Rs.2800

17

Daftary / peon

10

7

Rs.5200-20200 + GP-Rs.2000

 

Total

71

30

 

           

* 1 post against leave vacancy. 

 

11.        Budget Allocation

 

Head wise Break-up of CAC budget 

Sl. No.

MAJOR HEADS/SUB HEADS

BUDGET ESTIMATES 2009-2010

REVISED ESTIMATES 2009-2010

BUDGET ESTIMATES 2010-11 (Rs. in thousands)

1

10.00.01 - SALARIES

29600

26861

27341

2

10.00.02 - WAGES

15

10

10

3

10.00.03 - OTA

30

10

15

4

10.00.06 - MEDICAL TREATMENT

400

250

250

5

10.00.11 - DOMESTIC TRAVEL EXPENSES

1100

990

1000

6

10.00.12 - FOREIGN TRAVEL EXPENSES

300

200

200

7

10.00.13 - OFFICE EXPENSES

2000

1800

1800

8

10.00.20 - OTHER ADMN EXPENSES

300

270

300

9

10.00.28 - PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

50

35

35

10

10.01.99- INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

600

400

500

 

TOTAL

34395

30826

31451

 

 

12. Execution of subsidy programmes, including the amounts allocated and details of beneficiaries of such programmes           

 

Nil

 

13.        Particulars of recipient of Concessions, permits for Authorization granted

 

                        Not applicable

 

14.        Information held by the office in electronic form

 

                      Annual Reports, Recruitment Rules.

 

15.        Facilities available to citizens for obtaining information

 

            All information relating to working of CAC are available on the web site www.cac.gov.in . 

 

16         Name, Designation and other particulars of  Public Information Officer

 

Name             :- Geeta Chhabra

 

Designation   :- Director (Cost)

 

Address         :- O/o Chief Adviser Cost,

                         2nd Floor, C Wing, Loknayak Bhawan,

                         Khan Market, New Delhi – 110 003

Tel Nos.         :-  011-24698435

 

 

17.       Such other information as may be prescribed:         Nil