State co-operation minister Harshavardhan Patil on Sunday said that a task force will be set-up to look into the matters of government
auditors who are working with the co-operatives commissionerate.

He was speaking at a convention of the Maharashtra State Co-operation Department Auditors' Association. The association had demanded that the state government should increase the number of auditors in the co-operation department.

"Along with the issue of increasing the number of auditors, other issues such as auditors' pending promotions, setting-up one common period for auditing various credit societies and other co-operation establishments, will also be taken up for consideration," Patil said.

The state government will also take a decision on giving the government's auditors the task of auditing co-operative establishments once in every two years. At present, private practitioners are appointed and there are irregularities in the process, Patil added.

There are 1.5 lakh co-operative societies in the state for which there are only 4,000 auditors. The government will set-up a task-force which will look into all these matters and necessary decision would be taken after the government receives recommendations from the task force, he said.

Patil added, "The state has amended various rules and regulations, and auditors should be aware of these changes. Along with the proposed task-force, the government will also set up a legal cell for auditors working in state co-operation department."