Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has re-nominated Congress MP KV Thomas and veteran BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi as chairpersons of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and Estimates Committee, respectively. The appointments are for one year. The Estimates Committee’s comprise of 30 MPs and 20 MPs are selected from lok Sabha and 10 MPs from Rajya Sabha. The PAC consists 22 MPs and 15 are selected from the lok Sabha and seven from the Rajya Sabha.
PAC is one of the most important finance committees along with the Committee on Estimates and the Committee on Public Undertakings. Since 1967, the post of the PAC Chairman has been held by a senior member of the main Opposition party. Estimates Committee and Committee on Public Undertakings are always headed by senior MPs of ruling front.
PAC mostly examines CAG reports after they are tabled in Parliament, and subjects involve financial implications. The Estimates Committee monitors the economy, improvements and efficiency of government and its departments. It examines whether money is well laid out within the limits of the policy implied in the estimates.
The Estimates Committee currently examining the quality of water and sanitation, Ganga rejuvenation, farmer suicides, import of uranium in nuclear plants, regulatory mechanism of non-banking financial companies, affordable housing and subsidy of fertilizers.