<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">An expert advisory group constituted by the Rural Development Ministry today submitted its report for improvement and strengthening of internal audit systems and processes in rural development schemes.&nbsp;</span></div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br />''</div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">In the report submitted to Rural development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar in New Delhi, the expert group has given a roadmap for establishing the internal audit function as an instrument for enhancing efficiency and effectiveness of various schemes related to rural development.&nbsp;</div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br />''</div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">The group has suggested measures for strengthening internal audit as an instrument of management control across programmes up to grassroots level.</div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br />''</div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">The report also recommended the preparation of risk registers and risk matrix for all major programmes, comprehensive Policy for Internal Audit for the Ministry and long-term audit plan for a five year period.&nbsp;</div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br />''</div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">The Minister said, states need handholding in the implementation of internal audit. Mr Tomar said, it is an era of transparency and every government will have to work for it.&nbsp;</div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br />''</div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">He said, internal Audit will be a tool to identify the risk areas of leakages and to plug these loopholes.</div>