2-member LS committee to scrutinise Budget: Speaker
NEW DELHI: In a surprise move, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has directed scrutiny of the General Budget by a Parliamentary committee. This is the first time the Budget will be scrutinised after approval from both houses and Presidential assent to the finance bill. The Speaker has formed a two-member committee of the Lok Sabha for this scrutiny. Chairman of the Estimates Committee Girish Balchandra Bapat of BJP and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee and leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury will be its members. Though no time frame has been given to the two MPs to scrutinise the report, it is expected that they would submit the report to the Speaker before the beginning of winter session of Parliament. This committee will examine all the budget documents and officials of the Finance ministry including the Finance Secretary will be called to explain the allocation of funds for different demands of grants.
Generally standing committees comprising MPs of both the houses of the Parliament scrutinise the Finance bill and demands of grants of all the ministries. Till today, Parliament standing committees have not been constituted. The Finance bill and demands of grants were passed without the recommendation of standing committees. For this Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu used their discretionary power to waive the rules for scrutiny. When asked about the formation of standing committees, Speaker Om Birla was hopeful it would be announced soon. He also added that it was the prerogative of the Parliamentary Affairs ministry to recommend the list of standing committees after due consultation with all political parties in Parliament.
Birla added that as no standing committees were formed this time he allowed most of the members to speak on the Budget and other bills. In a break from tradition, he allowed MPs to seek clarification after the minister's reply. Generally, Rajya Sabha MPs enjoy this privilege and this time Speaker also extended it to Lok Sabha MPs.
