Lok Sabha Speaker Inaugurates Public Accounts Committee Chairpersons' Conference in Thiruvananthapuram

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on 3 November 2026 inaugurated the Conference of Chairpersons of Public Accounts Committees (PACs) of Parliament and State/UT Legislatures in Thiruvananthapuram, calling upon PACs to act as guardians of public money and declaring that every rupee drawn from the public exchequer must be accounted for and utilised for its intended purpose, according to a Lok Sabha Secretariat release issued by the Press Information Bureau.

What the Speaker said

• Transparency and accountability are the cornerstones of democracy, and the ultimate measure of public expenditure must be the positive difference it makes to the lives of ordinary citizens.
• The PAC is a vital institution of parliamentary democracy, entrusted with examining public expenditure, ensuring financial discipline and holding the Executive accountable; its responsibility extends beyond scrutiny of accounts to assessing whether funds achieved their intended objectives.
• He expressed concern over audit observations remaining unresolved for 10, 15 or even 20 years, and called for a concrete, systematic and time-bound action plan for their resolution, with Union and State Governments strengthening monitoring, review and follow-up mechanisms.
• He urged PACs to leverage artificial intelligence, data analytics and responsible technology to analyse large volumes of expenditure data, detect potential financial irregularities and improve monitoring of audit observations.
• He stressed that assessment must go beyond figures and utilisation certificates: for infrastructure projects, Committees should visit project sites to examine quality and timely completion, and for social welfare schemes, they should examine the actual impact of expenditure.

The Opposition-chair convention

• The Speaker highlighted the distinctive democratic convention of appointing a Member of the Opposition as Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee, describing it as a reflection of the maturity, inclusiveness and strength of India's parliamentary democracy.
• He said the PAC must function through dialogue, cooperation, consensus and collective responsibility - its purpose is not to criticise any individual or government, but to ensure that public funds are neither misused nor wasted.

Who attended

• The inaugural session was graced and addressed by the Chief Minister of Keralam, V. D. Satheesan; Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Harivansh; Chairman of the PAC of the Lok Sabha, K. C. Venugopal; Speaker of the Keralam Legislative Assembly, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan; and Chairperson of the PAC of the Keralam Legislative Assembly, K. N. Balagopal.
• Chairpersons and members of Public Accounts Committees of State Legislatures attended, and the Speaker recalled the recent centenary celebrations of the PAC, urging that commitments made on that occasion be translated into concrete improvements.

Why this matters for UPSC

• Parliamentary committees (GS-II): The PAC is a financial committee constituted under the Rules of Procedure of the Lok Sabha to scrutinise the appropriation accounts and the CAG's audit reports - a staple prelims and mains topic on parliamentary control over public finance.
• Role of the CAG: The release underlines how examination of CAG audit findings, Action Taken Reports and follow-up on recommendations anchor the PAC's work, linking two constitutional/parliamentary accountability institutions.
• Opposition-chair convention: The practice of appointing an Opposition member as PAC chairperson is a frequently tested convention of Indian parliamentary democracy.
• Accountability in federal governance: The emphasis on Centre-State partnership schemes, sharing of State best practices and time-bound resolution of audit observations connects to questions on cooperative federalism and financial accountability.

Sources

• Press Information Bureau, Lok Sabha Secretariat release, 3 November 2026 (Release ID: 2332043): pib.gov.in