Lok Sabha Speaker to inaugurate
The All-India Conference of the Chairpersons and Members of the Public Accounts Committees (PACs) of Parliament, State Legislative Assemblies, and Union Territory Legislatures will be held at the Keralam Legislative Assembly on November 3 and 4. This is the first time Kerala will host such a conference of Public Accounts Committees.
On November 3 at 11:30 a.m., Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will receive a Guard of Honour. He will then inaugurate the conference in the R. Sankaranarayanan Thampi Members’ Lounge. Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan, Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha Harivansh Narayan Singh, Chairperson of Parliament’s PAC K. C. Venugopal, Kerala Legislative Assembly Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, Deputy Speaker Shanimol Usman, and Kerala PAC Chairperson K. N. Balagopal will address the gathering.
A total of 262 members, including representatives and officials from 26 states, will participate in the conference.
During the two-day plenary sessions in the Assembly Hall, discussions will be held on the theme “Audit, Accountability and Good Governance – The Evolving Role of the Public Accounts Committee.” The conference will conclude with a valedictory session at the R. Sankaranarayanan Thampi Members’ Lounge on November 4 at 11:45 a.m. The Lok Sabha Speaker, Chairperson of Parliament’s PAC, Kerala Assembly Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and Kerala PAC Chairperson will participate in the concluding session.
Under Article 151(2) of the Indian Constitution, the principal responsibility of PACs is to examine the audit reports submitted by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to the Governors of the states. The first PAC was constituted in 1933 in the Travancore Legislative Assembly. The convention of appointing an Opposition member as PAC Chairperson was first implemented in the Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1957.
Over the past 70 years, the Kerala PAC has submitted 1,257 reports. It is the legislative committee that has submitted the largest number of reports in the Keralam Legislative Assembly. The deliberations will provide an important platform for sharing experiences, exchanging best practices and exploring ways to further strengthen the role of Public Accounts Committees in ensuring legislative oversight of public expenditure and promoting transparency, accountability and financial discipline in governance.
As key parliamentary institutions entrusted with examining public expenditure and ensuring that public funds are utilised in accordance with legislative intent, Public Accounts Committees play a vital role in upholding the principles of accountability and responsible governance. The Conference is expected to foster constructive dialogue on emerging challenges in public financial management, the evolving audit landscape and the need to further enhance the effectiveness of legislative scrutiny.