Q.Why do you think the committees are considered to be useful for parliamentary work? Discuss, in this context, the role of the Estimates Committee.

Body

Utility of Committees in Parliamentary Work

• Detailed and In-Depth Scrutiny: Due to the vast volume of legislative business and limited time during parliamentary sessions, the floor of the House is often unsuitable for detailed analysis. Committees allow for a thorough examination of complex bills and policies (e.g., discussions on the "One Nation, One Election" proposal).
• Specialized Knowledge and Expert Consultation: Committees consist of members from various backgrounds and can invite experts, stakeholders, and civil society representatives to provide specialized inputs, ensuring that legislation is robust and well-informed (e.g., reviews of the Personal Data Protection Bill).
• Bipartisan and Collaborative Environment: Unlike the highly polarized debates on the floor of the House, committee proceedings are conducted in camera and are generally free from party whips. This fosters a collaborative, non-partisan approach to lawmaking (e.g., consensus-building on the Anti-Maritime Piracy Bill).
• Executive Accountability: Committees act as a continuous mechanism of oversight, ensuring that the executive remains accountable to the legislature for its actions and expenditures (e.g., the Public Accounts Committee's scrutiny of defense spending).
• Efficiency and Division of Labor: By distributing legislative work among various standing and select committees, Parliament can manage its workload efficiently, ensuring that diverse sectors receive dedicated attention (e.g., the role of standing committees during the COVID-19 pandemic in reviewing healthcare infrastructure).

Role of the Estimates Committee

First established in the post-independence era on the recommendation of John Matthai, the Estimates Committee is a standing financial committee consisting of 30 members, all elected solely from the Lok Sabha. Its primary roles include:

• Examination of Budget Estimates: The committee scrutinizes the estimates of various government departments to ensure that public funds are allocated rationally and utilized efficiently. For example, it recently examined healthcare spending allocations to suggest better resource optimization post-pandemic.
• Suggesting Economies and Reforms: It is tasked with reporting what economies, improvements in organization, administrative reforms, or consistent policies may be effected to ensure that public money is spent wisely.
• Ensuring Accountability in Fund Utilization: It monitors whether the funds allocated by Parliament are being utilized for the intended purposes, as seen in its 2023 review of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to address leakages and mismanagement.
• Continuous Oversight and Implementation: The committee keeps a check on the executive by tracking the implementation of its previous recommendations, ensuring continuous accountability (e.g., ongoing reviews of rural digital infrastructure projects like BharatNet).
• Promoting Administrative Efficiency: By identifying redundant expenditures and suggesting streamlined procurement processes (e.g., its 2023 recommendations on defense procurement), the committee helps save significant public resources.
• Enriching Parliamentary Debates: The comprehensive reports and insights generated by the Estimates Committee provide valuable data that elevates the quality of debates in the main chamber of Parliament, particularly during discussions on the budget.