As per allocation of Business, the office of Chief Adviser Cost in the Department of Expenditure has been entrusted with the task to advice the Ministry and Government Undertakings on cost account matter and attend to the cost investigation work on their behalf. This inter-alia includes advising Central Government Ministry/Department/Organization on cost/price related issues, fixing fair prices for various services/products and rendering advice to various Ministry/ Department on cost matters. Office of Chief Adviser Cost functions as a repository of professional expertise in the field of cost and pricing matters and is manned by qualified Chartered/Cost Accountants.

Functions of Office of Chief Adviser Cost are advisory in nature. Duties include cost/price studies and expert advice thereon, on receipt of references from various Ministries/ Departments. The duties are discharged by carrying out field visits, in-depth examination and analysis of cost data etc. and thereafter, the reports/recommendations are sent to the wherever required respective Ministries/Departments. Being a recommendatory body, it is for the concerned Ministries to take decision on the recommendations of the Office of Chief Adviser Cost. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, Accounting Standards, Cost Accounting Standards and prevalent statutory laws are adhered to in arriving at cost/price of product/service. Further, In order to bring transparency concerned organizations are involved as required during the course of study.

Accordingly, references from concerned administrative Ministries/Departments can be sent to this office on file or through a letter bringing out the terms of references or issues involved. Normally, a study is carried out on the subject and a report/ advice is given to the referring department for consideration. The following officers may be contacted for any further information required in this regard.

Office of Chief Adviser Cost generally does not undertake any study on its own on suo-motu basis and acts only on references received from Ministries/ Departments from time to time.

Office of Chief Adviser Cost generally does not undertake any job related to Procurement/Acquisition of Goods & Services, Assets etc. under procedure of GFR 2005/GFR 2017/ Procurement Manuals of respective Ministries/ Departments/ Organizations as these are mandated to deal with such issues.

Similarly, Office of the Chief Adviser Cost generally does not undertake any job which is mandated to Financial Adviser of the organization under ‘The Redefined Charter for Financial Advisers’ issued by Ministry of Finance in the year 2006.