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Public Accounts Committee (PAC)

Topics Covered: Parliament and State Legislatures – structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.

Public Accounts Committee (PAC):

Context:

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has decided its agenda for the following year.

Because a consensus could not be built, the subject of vaccine production and distribution was not accepted as one of the agendas of the PAC for this year.

  • As per the panel’s rules, no subject can be deliberated upon till there is a consensus among all members.

About PAC:

  1. The PAC is formed every year with a strength of not more than 22 members of which 15 are from Lok Sabha and 7 from Rajya Sabha.
  2. The term of office of the members is one year.
  3. The Chairman is appointed by the Speaker of Lok Sabha. Since 1967, the chairman of the committee is selected from the opposition.
  4. Its chief function is to examine the audit report of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) after it is laid in the Parliament.

Historical Background:

It is the oldest of all House panels. The Committee on Public Accounts was first set up in 1921 in the wake of the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms.

Limitations of the Public Accounts Committee:

  1. Broadly, it cannot intervene in the questions of policy.
  2. It can keep a tab on the expenses only after they are incurred. It has no power to limit expenses.
  3. It cannot intervene in matters of day-to-day administration.
  4. Any recommendation that the committee makes is only advisory. They can be ignored by the ministries.
  5. It is not vested with the power of disallowance of expenditures by the departments.
  6. Being only an executive body; it cannot issue an order. Only the Parliament can take a final decision on its findings.

 

Insta Curious: 

Do you know why CAG has been re-appointed as the Chairman of the Panel of External Auditors of the United Nations (for the year 2021). Read Here

 

InstaLinks:

Prelims Link:

  1. Difference between Parliamentary vs Cabinet committees.
  2. Standing vs select vs finance committees.
  3. Who appoints chairperson and members of these committees?
  4. Committees exclusive to only Lok Sabha.
  5. Committees where Speaker is the chairperson.

Mains Link:

What are Parliamentary Standing committees? Why are they necessary? Discuss their roles and functions to bring out their significance.

Sources: the Hindu.