Parliamentary Committees
· This
committee system has been borrowed from U.K but most effective committee system
is in USA.
· Parliamentary
committees are certain members drawn from the parliament; to exercise continues
control over public admin. When the parliament is not in session.
· Constitution
does not mention any specific provision regarding parliamentary committee.
However Art – 88, Art – 105, mention parliamentary committee situationally.
· Parliamentary
committees are only situationally mentioned, in const., but nothing is
mentioned about structure, function, composition.
· Hence,
their structure & functions are determined by the law made by the
parliament.
· There
are 2 types of Parliamentary committee. Ad-hoc committee, standing committee.
i) Ad-hoc committee: A committee constituted
for a specific purpose & they cease to exist, when they finish the task
assigned to them.
ii) Standing committee: They are a kind of
permanent committee which continues to exist with change in the members.
Standing committee is of 2 types. Ordinary committees, financial committees.
· These
2 committees may be house / joint committees.
Features of parliamentary committees:
(Financial committee)
· The
members in these committees are elected by the houses according to proportional
representation. (Basic of party’s strength).
· They
are elected for a team of 1 yr only; but generally continue for 2 yrs.
· Ministers
should not be members of financial comm.
· Chairman
of these comm. are appointed by L.S Speaker.
· Quorum
of this comm. is 1/3.
à There are 3 financial comm. they are:
a) Public
accounts committees (PAC)
b) Estimates committees
c) Committee on
public undertakings
a) PAC:
· Most
power financial comm... & oldest Parliament comm. Of Parliament Est. in
1921. It was a house committee in beginning but joint committee now.
· PAC
consists of 22 members (15 – LS, 7 – RS)
· A
convection which is followed from 1967 onwards is the chairman of this
committee is taken from opposition party.
Functions of PAC:
· The
committee examines verifies how the money shown in the accounts has been
disbursed & verifies the expenditure if it confirms to the authority, which
governs it.
· It
also examines the reports given by ‘CAG’.
b) Estimates comm..:
· Est.
in 1950, on the recomm. Of John mathai the then (F.M)
· It
is an exclusive committee of Lok Sabha having 30members.
· Chairman
of this committee is appointed by speaker.
Function:
· It
verifies the economics, improvement, efficiency in the organization &
checks whether particular estimate is consistent with policy underlined
estimates.
· It
suggests alternative policies in order to bring about economy in the admin.
& also efficiency.
· It
also suggests the form in which estimates shall be presented to the parliament.
· PAC,
Estimates committees are called ‘Twin Sisters’ comm.. Moreover, Estimates comm.
is called ‘Continuous Economics comm...’
c) Committee on public undertakings:
· Est.
in 1964, with the recomm. Of Krishna menon comm.. It is a joint committee. (15
LS, 7RS).
Functions:
· This
comm.. Examines the reports & accounts of public undertakings of GOI.
· It
also examines the extent of autonomy, efficiency in the public undertakings.
Ordinary committees:
· They
are generally house, but some are joint. The joint ordinary committees are:
1. Committee of SC, ST: Total 30 members (20 LS,
10 RS)
à All ordinary committees have members nominated by the presiding
officers.
· The
chairperson of joint is appointed by speaker. The chairperson of ordinary house
comm. is appointed by presiding officer.
· All
the junctions of the SC, ST people are undertaken by this.
2. Committee on women empowerment:
· Est.
in 1997, consisting 30 members (20 LS, 10 RS).
· It
examines the reports given by National committee on women.
3. Committee on the office of profit:
· Est.
1992 consisting of 15 members (10 LS, 5 RS)
House specific:
1. Business Advisory comm.:
· Both
for L.S, R.S separately
· 15
in LS and 11 members in RS.
2. Committee on petitions:
· LS
– 15 members, RS – 10 members.
· This
committee is known as ombudsman committee [ombudsman (vigilance)]
3. Committee on privileges of members:
· LS
– 15, RS – 10
· This
has certain quasi judicial functions.
4. Committee on Govt. assurances: LS – 15, RS – 10.
5. Committee on pvt. Member bill: Exclusive of LS having 15
members, Dy. Speaker is chairman.
6. Ethics committee:
· Constituted
in RS – 1997, LS – 2000.
· Membership
varies from time to time.
7. Dept. standing committees:
· In
1993, 17 dept. committees have been constitutes the no. has been increased to
24 in 2004.
· Every
comm.. has 31 members (20 LS, 11RS)
· These
committees deal all dept. separately for any dept.
LOK SABHA
|
RAJYA SABHA
|
People’s
house elected directly & dissolved
|
Rajya
Sabha is a permanent house, representing states, which cannot be dissolved.
|
Lok
Sabha has exclusive powers on money bill; no confidence motion, motion of
confidence and adjournment motion.
|
For
removal of V.P, the motion shall be initiated only in RS.
|
Lok
Sabha can approve a resolution with simple majority for revoking national
emergency.
|
By Art
– 249, R.S can initiate a resolution for transferring of subject matters
in state list to central list.
|
It
is speaker of L.S who presides over the joint session of parliament, in case
of deadlock between both the houses.
|
According
to Art – 312, if RS approves resolution with special majority for
creation of 1 or more all India services.
|
Budget
is presented only in LS and LS verdict is final as budget is money bill.
|
RS
approves National emergency in case LS stands dissolved, during such time.
|
All
important policy matters are generally announced in L.S, since PM usually
hails from LS.
|
RS
provides continuity to the legislation, because of its permanent feature.
|
LS
have more political significance because Govt. is finally accountable to LS
only.
|
Moreover,
RS is an elder’s house & is said to be an embodiment of rich experience
and expertise.
|
· Arithmetically
LS is powerful.
· Except
the above relative differences, in all aspects LS and Rs are equal.
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