i. Appointed or elected by the House or nominated by the Speaker/Chairman.
ii. Works under the direction of Presiding officer.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
iii. Presents its report to the house or presiding officer.
iv. Has a Secretariat provided by the House.
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v. Holds office generally for a year.
vi. Expected to contain representative of all parties in the House.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
vii. Enables legislature to work on ‘Division of Labour.’
viii. Not constitutional bodies, but mention is formed in Article 88 & 105.
ix. Have been brought into existence under the rule making power of the Parliament.
There are consultative committees attached to serious department and ministries but are not Parliamentary Committees.
1. The kinds-Ad hoc and Standing Committee:
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Ad hoc Committees are constituted by the House or the speaker as and when the need arises and cease to exist as soon as they complete the work assigned to them.
Also referred to as select committee
The number is not fixed.
Ex: The Select or joint committees on Bills – a bill.
Joint Parliamentary Committee – a specific subject
Ad hoc Committees are also referred to as select committee. Standing Committee are of permanent nature.
Standing Committees are elected by the house or appointed by the Speaker/Chairman every year as from time to time. Article of permanent nature
Ex: Financial – (1) DAC (2) estimates (C) Com. on public undertaking Dept. related standing committees.
House Committees
Enquiry Committees
Scrutiny Committees
Services Committee
2. Strength:
Business Advisory Committee — 15
Estimates Committee — 30 (not RS)
Committee on Public Account — 22
Committee on Petitions — 15
Committee on Welfare of SC/ST — 30
The Chairman of all committees is appointed by Speaker, except that of Joint Committee on salaries and allowances of members of Parliament, who is elected by the Committee itself.
In 1993 Parliament set up 17 standing committees to secure- more accountability of Executive to the legislature.
Mainly to Scrutinize Budgets.
Report of Estimates Committee is not debated.
3. Public Accounts Committee:
i. Committee of House of people.
ii. Consists of not more than 15 members.
iii. Representation of States in the Lok Sabha
iv. Elected on the basis of proportional representation.
v. RS members are treated as associate, cannot vote.
vi. Chairman is a member of opposition party.
vii. Scrutinizes appropriation accounts of GOI.
viii. Scrutinizes the report of CAG.
ix. Ensures that money is spent in accordance with the Parliaments decisions.
x. Investigations are in the nature of post mortem.
4. Estimates Committee:
i. Committee of House of People.
ii. Consists of 30 members
iii. Chairman is appointed by speaker.
iv. Constituted after presentation of Budget.
v. Reports on what economies, improvement in Organizational efficiency or administration reform may be affected.
vi. Scrutinizes the expenditure effected by the Government
vii. Report is not debated.
viii. Carries its examination throughout the year.
While DAC has to examine accounts quite some time after the expenditure was actually been incurred.
Committee and estimates is concerned with the working of different ministries during the course of the financial year.
Committee on Public undertakings is mentioned in Fourth schedule and consists of members from both the houses.
5. Committee on Public Undertakings:
i. Consists of 15 members.
ii. 10 members from LS and 5 from RS.
iii. Elected by system of proportional representation.
iv. Chairman is appointed by the Speaker.
v. Mentioned in 4 schedules.
vi. Involve both pre and post expenditure phases.