The Estimate Committee
- The Government of the day formulates the economic policies and present demands to the Parliament for carrying out the policies.
- In order to scrutinize the expenditure proposed by the Government in an informal atmosphere disregarding party lines, an Estimate Committee is constituted after the budget is presented before the Lok Sabha.
This committee of the Lok Sabha examines the estimates in order to make suggestion in regard to—
- Economy and improvement in organizational efficiency or administrative reform consistent with policies underlying the estimates.
- Suggest alternative policies for bringing efficiency and economy in administration.
- Examine whether the money is well laid out within the limits of the policy.
- To suggest the form in which the estimates are to be presented to the Parliament.
The committee functions would not include a Government undertaking which has been referred to the Committee on Public Undertakings.
Constitution of the Committee
- The committee shall not have more than 30 members.
- The members are elected by proportional representation by means of single transferable vote.
- A Minister cannot be elected to the committee and if after election a person is appointed a Minster, he ceases to be a member of the committee.
- The members are appointed for a period not exceeding one year.
- The report of the committees is not debated in the House.
- The committee keeps on working throughout the year and places its views before the House.
- The demand for grants made by the Government does not wait for the report of the Estimates committee.
- The Estimates Committee makes useful suggestion and checks Government’s extravagance in making demands for the next financial year.
