HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Nov 30: The Office of the Chief Adviser Cost, Department of Expenditure (DoE), Ministry of Finance, concluded a three-day Chintan Shivir held from November 28 to 30 at Manesar, Haryana.
The programme brought together officers of the Chief Adviser Cost office along with participants from the Haryana State Government and the Swarna Jayanti Haryana Institute for Fiscal Management, adding diverse perspectives from the state public finance ecosystem.
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The Shivir began with an address by chief adviser cost Pawan Kumar, who emphasised the need for continuous learning, innovation and adaptability in modern public administration.
This was followed by a session on “Heartfulness Communication” by Dr Gauri Rangra of the Heartfulness Foundation, intended to strengthen empathetic leadership and improve stakeholder engagement.
The first day of deliberations centred on the development of an International Knowledge Body and on the need for standardised costing systems for municipal services.
Later, key observations and recommendations were presented to secretary, DoE, V Vualnam.
The suggestions included establishing a nodal cell under the Department of Expenditure to create internationally benchmarked costing frameworks and practices, including those applicable to municipal bodies, through collaboration with both domestic and global institutions.
Vualnam offered strategic direction and outlined time-bound steps to address existing challenges in public financial management.
He also reiterated the Prime Minister’s vision that young officers with fresh ideas should remain central to future Chintan Shivirs.
The second day began with a yoga session and continued with knowledge-sharing discussions held in association with academic institutions.
Speakers presented insights on the use of emerging technologies such as AI and machine learning to improve administrative efficiency, on applying corporate governance principles to strengthen accountability, on the importance of forensic accounting and early detection mechanisms to prevent financial irregularities, and on recognising public data and AI as public goods critical for inclusive development along with the design of equitable user-charge frameworks.
Round-table discussions further examined user-charge systems, corporate governance issues and the potential role of the Indian Cost Accounts Service (ICoAS) in developing transparent and inclusive pricing models.
The final day on November 30 concluded with a workshop on “Professional Evolution and New Growth Avenues,” which explored emerging sectors and functional domains where ICoAS officers can drive impactful change in light of evolving technological and economic trends.
In his concluding remarks, the chief adviser cost commended the officers for their analytical depth and dedication to strengthening fiscal governance.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by additional chief adviser cost Manmohan Sachdeva, who encouraged officers to remain future-ready in an increasingly dynamic and interconnected world.
