48Audit

(1) The accounts of the National Bank shall be audited by auditors duly qualified to act as auditors under sub-section (1) of ¹[section 141 of the Companies Act, 2013 (18 of 2013)] who shall be appointed by the Central Government in consultation with the Reserve Bank, for such term and on such remuneration as the Central Government may fix.

(2) The auditors shall be supplied with a copy of the annual balance-sheet of the National Bank and it shall be their duty to examine it together with the accounts and vouchers relating thereto and they shall have a list delivered to them of all books kept by the National Bank and shall at all reasonable times have access to the books, accounts, vouchers and other documents of the National Bank.

(3) The auditors may, in relation to the accounts of the National Bank, examine any director of the Board or any officer or other employee of the National Bank and shall be entitled to require from the Board or officers or employees of the National Bank such information and explanation as they may think necessary for the performance of their duties.

(4) The auditors shall make a report to the National Bank upon the annual balance-sheet and accounts examined by them and in every such report, they shall state whether in their opinion the balance-sheet is a full and fair balance-sheet containing all necessary particulars and properly drawn up so as to exhibit a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the National Bank and in case they had called for any explanation or information from the Board or any officer or other employee of the National Bank, whether it has been given and whether it is satisfactory.

(5) The National Bank shall furnish to the Central Government and the Reserve Bank within four months from the date on which the annual accounts of the National Bank are closed and balanced, a copy of its balance-sheet as on the close of that year together with a copy of the profit and loss account for the year and a copy of the auditors report and a report of the working of the National Bank during the relevant year, and the Central Government shall, as soon as may be after they are received by it, cause the same to be laid before each House of Parliament and cause the copies of the said balance-sheet, profit and loss account and auditors' report to be published in the Official Gazette.

(6) Without prejudice to anything contained in the preceding sub-sections, the Central Government may, at any time, appoint the Comptroller and Auditor General of India to examine and report upon the accounts of the National Bank and any expenditure incurred by him in connection with such examination and report shall be payable by the National Bank to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.