PAC has responsibility to evolve, be flexible: Om Birla

Birla advised Parliamentary committees to directly interact with people and take inputs from them

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Sunday advised Parliamentary committees to directly interact with people and take inputs from them so that it can make "more effective and meaningful" recommendations to the government for the development of the country.

Birla was addressing the valedictory ceremony of the centenary celebrations of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee attended by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Harivansh, who warned that the delay in law-making hampers socioeconomic growth of the country, and PAC Chairperson Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

Chowdhury said that executive accountability to the Legislature is one of the cornerstones on which the edifice of a parliamentary democracy is erected and expressed hope that the PAC will now work with more intent and sincerity in the coming years in delivering democracy and setting high benchmarks for legislatures.

The centenary celebrations were inaugurated by President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday in the presence of Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.

Read | Accountability central to governance in a parliamentary democracy: Kovind

The Speaker said that the PACs that scrutinise government spending to be flexible to match people's hopes as they expect it to make the Executive accountable for the development of the country and ensure transparency in the working of the government.

"It is the responsibility of the PAC to evolve itself and to be flexible in their processes and procedures. As part of our endeavour to ensure that the Committee works for the benefit and welfare of the last person standing in the row, it should make the executive accountable for the development of the country and ensure transparency in the working of the government," he said.

He suggested that a common digital platform of the Public Accounts Committees of the Parliament of India and State Legislatures should be created where such Committees can share their best practices and monitor execution of their recommendations.

"Parliamentary committees should directly interact with people and take inputs from them. The more they will interact with people, the more effective and meaningful their recommendations will be," he said.

Birla suggested that the PAC Chairpersons at the Centre and states should form a panel to have a comprehensive discussion on the working of the PACs and brainstorm on the manner in which the working of such committees can be more effective. He said their report or suggestions could be discussed among the Presiding Officers for implementation, which will make PACs more accountable, transparent and beneficial to the public.

Emphasising the non-partisan functioning of PACs, he Birla said that it should be the collective endeavour to not only maintain this tradition but to further strengthen it. Interest of the nation should be supreme, he said.

Harivansh suggested the extensive use of latest technology for disposal of audit paras in a time bound manner and highlighted the role of these committees in the process of review of redundant laws so that the legal architecture could conform to the changing needs of our times.

"Delay in law making hampers the socioeconomic growth of the country which puts an additional responsibility on parliamentary committees, particularly PAC, to examine laws pertaining to their mandate on a continuous basis. Committees should attend to their duties impartially," he added.

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