Public Accounts Committee (PAC)
Context: Days, after a section of the under-construction six-lane National Highway 66 collapsed at Kooriyad in Malappuram district, Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, directed the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to conduct a comprehensive performance audit, scrutinizing the contract terms, and the road design that led to the collapse.
Important Pointers:
Oldest Committee: Established in 1921, making it the oldest parliamentary committee in India.
Purpose: Ensures public funds are spent efficiently and lawfully by auditing government expenditures.
Key Functions
Examines CAG Reports: Reviews the Comptroller and Auditor General's (CAG) audit reports on government accounts.
Parliamentary Sanction Check: Ensures that money granted by Parliament is used for the intended purpose.
Accountability: Investigates irregularities, losses, and inefficiencies in government spending.
Membership & Composition
Total Members: 22 members — 15 from Lok Sabha, 7 from Rajya Sabha.
Chairperson: From Lok Sabha, usually from the Opposition party (by convention).
Term: Serves a term of one year.
Exclusion of Ministers: Ministers cannot be members of the PAC to ensure non-partisan oversight.