We have audited the financial statements of GUJARAT STATE FINANCIAL CORPORATION (‘the Corporation’), which comprise the balance sheet as at 31st March,2024 and the statement of Profit and Loss and statement of cash flows for the year then ended, and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information.
In our opinion and to the best of our information and according to the explanation given to us, except for the possible effects of the matter described in Basis for Qualified Opinion paragraph, the aforesaid financial statement give the information required by the Act in the manner so required and give a true and fair view in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in India of the state of affairs of the corporation as at 31st March, 2024, and its loss and its cash flow for the year ended on that date.
Basis for Qualified Opinion
a. The financial statements of the corporation are prepared on a going concern basis, notwithstanding the fact that its net worth is completely eroded and defaulted in repayment obligations due to liquidity problems. This is not in accordance with Accounting Standard (AS) - 1 “Disclosure of Accounting Policies”. The effect of the same on the financial statements is not ascertainable.
b. Dues payable to Government of Gujarat is subject to confirmation and adjustment, if any, required upon such confirmation. Pending such confirmation, the effect thereof on interest and penal interest is not ascertainable.
Information other than the financial statements and auditors’ report thereon
Management is responsible for the preparation of the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the Board’s Report including Annexures to Board’s Report but does not include the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon.
Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with
the financial statements or our knowledge obtained during the course of our audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated.
If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information; we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard.
Responsibilities of Management and Those Charged with Governance for the Standalone Financial Statements
Management is responsible for the matters stated the preparation of these financial statements that give a true and fair view of the financial position, financial performance and cash flows of the Corporation in accordance with the accounting principles generally accepted in India, including the Accounting Standards specified under section 133 of the Act. This responsibility also includes maintenance of adequate accounting records in accordance with the provisions of the Act for safeguarding of the assets of the Corporation and for preventing and detecting frauds and other irregularities; selection and application of appropriate accounting policies; making judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and design, implementation and maintenance of adequate internal financial controls, that were operating effectively for ensuring the accuracy and completeness of the accounting records, relevant to the preparation and presentation of the financial statements that give a true and fair view and are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial statements, management is responsible for assessing the Corporation’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless management either intends to liquidate the Corporation or to cease operations, or has no realistic alternative but to do so.
Those management is also responsible for overseeing the Corporation’s financial reporting process.
Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with SAs will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
As part of an audit in accordance with SAs, we exercise professional judgment and maintain professional skepticism throughout the audit. We also:
• Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. The risk of not detectinga material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud mayinvolve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.
• Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances. We are also responsible for expressing our opinion on whether the corporation has adequate internal financial controls system in
place and the operating effectiveness of such controls.
• Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made by management.
• Conclude on the appropriateness of management’s use of the going concern basis of accounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the Corporation’s ability to continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw attention in our auditor’s report to the related disclosures in the financial statements or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our opinion. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor’s report. However, future events or conditions may cause the Corporation to cease to continueas a going concern.
• Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the financial statements, including the disclosures, and whether the financial statements represent the underlying transactions and events ina manner that achieves fair presentation.
We communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.
We also provide those charged with governance with a statement that we have complied with relevant ethical requirements regarding independence, and to communicate with them all relationships and other matters that may reasonably be thought to bear on our independence, and where applicable, related safeguards.
From the matters communicated with those charged with governance, we determine those matters that were of most significance in the audit of the financial statements of the current period and are therefore the key audit matters We describe these matters in our auditor’s report unless law or regulation precludes public disclosure about the matter or when, in extremely rare circumstances, we determine that a matter should not be communicated in our report because the adverse consequences of doing so would reasonably be expected to outweigh the public interest benefits of such communication.
Reports on Other Legal & Regulatory Requirements
a. We have sought and, except for the matters described in the Basis for Qualified Opinion paragraph, obtained all the information and explanations which to the best of our knowledge and belief were necessary for the purpose of our audit;
b. Except for the possible effects of the matter described in the Basis for Qualified Opinion paragraph above, in our opinion proper books of accounts as required by law have been kept by the Corporation so far as appears from our examination of those books.
c. The Balance Sheet, Statement of Profit and Loss and Cash Flow Statement dealt with by this Report are in agreement with the books of account;
d. Except the possible effect of the matter described in the Basis for Qualified opinion paragraph, in our opinion, the aforesaid financial statements comply with the Accounting standards issued by ICAI.
e. Based on our examination carried out in accordance with the Implementation Guidance on
Reporting on Audit Trail under Rule 11(g) of the Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules, 2014 (Revised 2024 Edition) issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, which included test checks, we report that the company has used an accounting software for maintaining its books of account which has a feature of recording audit trail (edit log) facility and the same has operated throughout the year for all relevant transactions recorded in the software. Further, during our audit we did not come across any instance of audit trail feature being tampered with. Additionally, the audit trail has been preserved by the company as per the statutory requirements for record retention. Our examination of the audit trail was in the context of an audit of financial statements carried out in accordance with the Standard of Auditing and only to the extent required by Rule 11(g) of the Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules, 2014. We have not carried out any audit or examination of the audit trail beyond the matters required by the aforesaid Rule 11(g) nor have we carried out any standalone audit or examination of the audit trail.
For and on behalf of M/s Pankaj R. Shah & Associates Chartered Accountants (Registration No. 107361W)
CA Nilesh Shah Partner
Membership No. 107414 UDIN: 24107414BJZXAN1666 Place: Ahmedabad Date : 28-05-2024
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