The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) will highlight corruption and fraud cases in its audit reports by putting them in bold letters so as to attract greater attention of decision makers.

The issues having "sting and smell" of corruption and fraud would be highlighted in CAG reports to help government departments and secretaries focus on those areas, CAG V N Kaul said at an interactive session with Forum of Financial Writers here.

CAG, which examines about 15 million vouchers and audits 64,000 inspection reports every year, will present 110 reports for 2005-06 to the President for tabling in Parliament, Kaul said. The CAG submitted 91 reports for 2004-05.

Brushing aside the general impression that government did not take any action on CAG reports, Kaul said, once the reports are tabled in Parliament they are discussed by Parliamentary committees leading to departmental action.

Out of Rs 34,003 crore non-recovery pointed by CAG in local inspection reports prepared in 2005-06, the government accepted audit findings for Rs 7,996 crore and recovered Rs 1,227 crore.

However, he admitted that there was a need to improve the action taken mechanism as "CAG is still awaiting action taken notes on over 5,000 cases from Centre and in about 11,000 cases from the states."

Referring to Finance Ministry's decision to shift from cash method of accounting to accrual system, he said it could take up to 12 years.