ESTIMATES COMMITTEE
Constitution
The Estimates Committee, constituted for the first time in 1950, is a Parliamentary Committee consisting of 30 Members, elected every year by the Lok Sabha from amongst its Members. The Chairman of the Committee is appointed by the Speaker from amongst its members. A Minister cannot be elected as a member of the Committee and if a member after his election to the Committee, is appointed a Minister, he ceases to be a member of the Committee from the date of such appointment. [For composition of the Committee 2003-2004 see pages 3-4]. Names of all previous Chairmen of Estimates Committee are given on pages 4-5.
Term of Office
The term of office of the Committee is one year.
Functions
The functions of the Estimates Committee are:
(a) to report what economies, improvements in organisation, efficiency or administrative reform, consistent with the policy underlying the estimates may be effected;
(b) to suggest alternative policies in order to bring about efficiency and economy in administration;
(c) to examine whether the money is well laid out within the limits of the policy implied in the estimates; and
(d) to suggest the form in which the estimates shall be presented to Parliament.
The Committee does not exercise its functions in relation to such Public Undertakings as are allotted to the Committee on Public Undertakings by the Rules of Procedure of Lok Sabha or by the Speaker. A list of subjects selected by the Committee for examination during 2003-2004 is given on pages 5-7. The Committee have also decided to finalise draft reports on the subjects on which evidence have been concluded by the previous Committee indicated on page 7.
Working
Soon after it is constituted, the Committee selects such of the estimates pertaining to a Ministry/Department of the Central Government or such of the statutory and other bodies of the Central Government as may seem fit to the Committee. The Committee also examines matters of special interest which may arise or come to light in the course of its work or which are specifically referred to it by the House or the Speaker.
The Committee calls for preliminary material from the Ministry/Department, statutory and other Government bodies in regard to the subjects selected for examination and also memoranda from non-officials connected with the subjects for the use of the Members of the Committee.
The Committee, from time to time, appoints one or more Sub-Committees/Study Groups for carrying out detailed examination of various subjects. If it appears to the Committee that it is necessary for the purpose of its examination that an on-the-spot study should be made, the Committee may, with the approval of the Speaker decide to undertake tours to make a study of any particular matter, project or establishment, either as a whole Committee or by dividing itself into Study Groups. Notes relating to the institutions/offices etc. to be visited are called for in advance from the concerned Ministries/Departments etc. and circulated to the Members of the Committee/Sub- Committee/Study Group.
The Members while on tour may also meet the representatives of chambers of commerce and other nonofficial trade organisations and bodies which are concerned with the subjects under examination of the Committee, for an informal discussion.
When the Committee/Sub-Committee/Study Group is on study tour only informal sittings are held at the place of visit. At such sitting neither evidence is recorded nor any decisions are taken. All discussions held by the Committee with the representatives of the Ministries/ Departments, nonofficial organisations, etc. are treated as confidential and no one having access to the discussions directly or indirectly, should communicate to the Press or any unauthorised person any information about matters taken up during the discussions.
Later in the light of informal discussions during Study Tours, memoranda received from non-officials and information collected from the Ministry/Department concerned and other sources, non-official and official witnesses are invited to give evidence at formal sittings of the Estimates Committee held in Parliament House/Parliament House Annexe, New Delhi.
The observations/recommendations of the Committee are embodied in its Reports which are presented to Lok Sabha. After a Report has been presented to the House the Ministry or Department concerned is required to take action on the recommendations and conclusions contained in the Report within a period of six months. The replies of the Government are examined by the Committee and an Action Taken Report is presented to the House. The replies to the recommendations contained in the Action Taken Reports are laid on the Table of Lok Sabha in the form of Statements.
Achievements
Since its inception in April, 1950, the Committee has presented 922 Reports covering almost all the Ministries/ Departments of the Government of India. Out of these 480 are the Original Reports and 442 are Reports on Action Taken by the Government on earlier Reports of the Committee.
Composition of Estimates Committee
(2003-2004)
1. Prof. Ummareddy Venkateswarlu — Chairman
2. Shri Raashid Alvi
3. Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel
4. Shri Ramchander Bainda
5. Shri G.M. Banatwalla
6. Shri Sudip Bandyopadhyay
7. Shri S. Bangarappa
8. Shri Lal Muni Chaubey
9. Shri Dalit Ezhilmalai
10. Smt. Sheela Gautam
11. Shri Shankar Prasad Jaiswal
12. Shri Shriprakash Jaiswal
13. Shri N.N. Krishnadas
14. Shri C. Kuppuswami
15. Shri P.R. Kyndiah
16. Shri Samik Lahiri
17. Shri Sanat Kumar Mandal
18. Shri Shivaji Mane
19. Shri Manjay Lal
20. Shri Ram Nagina Mishra
21. Shri Shyam Bihari Mishra
22. Prof. Rasa Singh Rawat
23. Shri G. Ganga Reddy
24. Shri Dileep Sanghani
25. Kunwar Akhilesh Singh
26. Shri Maheshwar Singh
27. Dr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh
28. Shri Rampal Singh
29. Shri Lal Bihari Tiwari
30. Shri Shankersinh Vaghela
Names of Previous Chairmen of Estimates Committee
(1950-2004)
1. Shri M. Ananthasayanam Ayyangar
(1950-51 to 1953-54)
2. Shri Balwantray Gopalji Mehta
(1954-55 to1958-59)
3. Shri H.C. Dasappa
(1959-60 to 1962-63)
4. Shri A.C. Guha
(1963-64 to 1966-67)
5. Shri P. Venkatasubbaiah
(1967-68 to 1968-69)
6. Shri M. Thirumala Rao
(1969-70 to 1970-71)
7. Shri Kamal Nath Tewari
(1971-72 to 1973-74)
8. Shri R.K. Sinha
(1974-75 to 1975-76)
9. Shri Bhagwat Jha Azad
(1976-77)
10. Shri Satyendra Narayan Sinha
(August, 1977 to April, 1979)
11. Dr. Baldev Prakash
(May, 1979 to August, 1979)
12. Shri S.B.P. Pattabhi Rama Rao
(1980-81 to 1981-82)
13. Shri Bansi Lal
(1982-83 to 1984-85)
14. Shri Chintamani Panigrahi
(1985-86)
15. Smt. Chandra Tripathi
(1987-88)
16. Shri Ashutosh Law
(1988-89)
17. Shri Jaswant Singh
(1990-91)
18. Shri Manoranjan Bhakta
(1991-92 to 1992-93)
19. Dr. Krupasindhu Bhoi
(1993-94 to 1994-95)
20. Shri S.B. Sidnal
(1995-96)
21. Shri Rupchand Pal
(1996-97 to 1997-98 {December 1997})
22. Shri Madhukar Sirpotdar
(1998-99)
23. Prof. Ummareddy Venkateswarlu
[2000-2003-2004 (February 2004)]
Subjects selected for Examination by Estimates Committee during 2003-2004
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE
(Department of Agriculture and Cooperation)
(1) NAFED
(2) National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC)
CABINET SECRETARIAT
(3) Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
MINISTRY OF COAL AND MINES
(i) (Department of Coal)
(ii) (Department of Mines)
(4) Safety Measures in Mines
MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
(Department of Commerce)
(5) Export of species, coffee, rubber and tea
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(Department of Telecommunications)
(6) Productivity Improvement in Urban and Rural Telephony
(7) Telecommunication Services in Urban and Rural Areas
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
(Department of Defence)
(8) Coast Guard Organisation
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS
(9) Environmental Pollution
MINISTRY OF FINANCE
(i) (Department of Economic Affairs—Banking Division)
(10) Public Sector Banks — Non-Performing Assets
(11) Role of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) in Rural Development
(12) Priority Sector Lending
(13) Sponsoring of RRBs by the Nationalised Banks and
preserving rural character of RRBs
(14) Implementation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes under the Ministry of Rural Development
(ii) (Department of Revenue)
(15) Recovery of Arrears—Central Excise, Customs and Income Tax
(16) Import Duty on Power Generation Equipments including those for Non-Conventional Energy Sources.
(17) Simplification of Customs and Excise procedures
(18) Customs Godowns—Storage, Accounting, Pricing and Disposal of Confiscated Goods
MINISTRY OF FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES
(19) Food Processing Industries
MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
(Department of Health)
(20) Medical Council of India
(21) Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS)
MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
(22) Modernisation of Police and Para Military Forces
(23) New Delhi Municipal Committee (NDMC)
MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(Department of Secondary Education and Higher Education)
(24) Central Universities
(25) All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)
MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
(26) Central Board of Film Certification
(27) Quality and Accessibility of Doordarshan Programmes in Remote Areas
MINISTRY OF LABOUR
(28) Welfare Schemes for Labour
(29) Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO)
MINISTRY OF NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY SOURCES
(30) Non-Conventional Sources of Energy
MINISTRY OF POWER
(31) Power Generation
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
(Railway Board)
(32) Safety and Security in Railways
MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(Department of Rural Development)
(33) CAPART
(34) Implementation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes under the Ministry of Rural Development
MINISTRY OF SHIPPING
(35) Congestion in Ports
MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
(36) Social Welfare Schemes for Women, Weaker and Physically Handicapped Sections
MINISTRY OF TOURISM AND CULTURE (Department of Culture)
(37) Archaeological Survey of India
Subjects on which evidence have already been concluded by the previous Committee
1. Public Sector Banks—Non-Performing Assets