Control of finance by Parliament

1. FINANCIAL CONTROL
BY
PARLIAMENT
Trisom Sahu(14IP60011)
RGSOIPL, IIT Kharagpur

2. Introduction
Parliamentary
control over public
purse is the central
point in public
financial
administration and
key to the public
accountability
system.
Parliament sets
goals of public
financial
management and
watches
performance of

3.  Withdrawal from the consolidated fund
only after the passing of the appropriation
bill (Article-114)
 Article 115 provides for provision of
supplementary, additional or excess
grants.
 Article 116 provides explains on vote on
account, vote on credit and exceptional
grants.

4. While the Parliamentary controls are defined in
the Constitution, the operation of controls is
ensured through committees established by
Parliamentary Rules, which are namely
 Public Accounts Committee(PAC)
 Committee on Public Undertaking(COPU)
 Departmentally Related Standing
Committees(DRSC)
 Estimates Committee(EC)

5. Committee on Public Accounts
 Examines the Appropriation Accounts and Annual Finance
Accounts.
 Examines the Report of CAG of India on these accounts and other
matters.
 Examines the expenditure by various ministries /departments and
accounts of autonomous bodies.
 Examines various aspects of tax administration.
 Ascertains that Government spent money within the scope of the
demand.
 Functions of the Committee extend "beyond the formality of
expenditure to its wisdom, faithfulness, and economy".
 Examines and reports on money spent in excess of the amount
granted by the House for regularisation.
 Can take up suo moto subjects not covered in CAG’s Report.

6. Committee on Public
Undertaking
 Examines the reports and accounts of the Public
Undertakings and Reports of CAG of India.
 Examines whether the affairs of Public
Undertakings are being managed in accordance
with sound business principles and prudent
 commercial practices.
 Not to examines matters of major Government
policy as distinct from business or commercial
functions of Public undertakings or matters
 of day to day administration.
 Ministers not called before the Committee

7. Committee on Estimates
 Reports on what economics, improvements in
organisation, efficiency or administrative
reforms, consistent with the policy underlying
 the estimates, may be effected.
 Suggests alternative policies in order to bring
about efficiency and economy in
administration.
 Examines whether the money is well laid out
within the limits of policy implied in the
estimates.
 Suggests the form in which estimates shall be
presented to Parliament.

8. Departmentally Related Standing
Committee
 Considers and report on Demand for Grants for
the concerned ministries. No cut motion to be
suggested.
 Examines and reports on Bills referred to the
Committee.
 Considers Annual Report on Ministries
/Departments.
 Considers national basic long term policy
documents, if referred to.
 Not to consider matters of day to day
administration and matter which are under
consideration by other Parliamentary Committees.

9. Budget Process
Budget is
introduced in
Parliament on last
working day of
February
Early March:
General
discussion on
budget proposals.
April : Detailed
discussion and
voting on
Demands for
Grants
Budget is Passed
The Parliamentary control over public finances is
excercised primarily through the approval of the
Union Budget.

10. Important Budget Documents.
 Annual Financial Statement – Statement of the estimated
receipts and expenditure of the government.
 Demand for Grants –Expenditure required to be voted by the
Lok Sabha. A separate Demand is required to be presented
for each department of the government.
 Supplementary Demand for Grants – Presented when
authorized amounts are insufficient, or there is need for
additional expenditure has arisen.
 Finance Bill – Details the imposition of taxes, the rates of
taxation, and its regulation.
 Detailed Demand for Grants – Prepared on the basis of the
Demand for Grants. These show further break-up of objects
by expenditure, and also actual expenditure in the previous
year.

11. Mechanism of Oversight before the
Budget is passed.
The main scrutiny of the Budget is done in Lok Sabha
through:
 General discussion and voting : - The general
discussion on the Budget is held on a day subsequent
to the presentation of the Budget by the Finance
Minister. Discussion at this stage is confined to the
general examination of the Budget and policies of
taxation expressed during the budget speech.
 Discussion on Demand for Grants: The general
discussion is followed by a discussion on the Demand
for Grants of different ministries. A certain number of
days or hours are allocated for the discussion of all
the demands.4 However, not all the demands are
discussed within the allotted number of days.

12. Mechanism of oversight after the
Budget is passed.
Oversight by Parliament after the Budget is
passed is necessary to make sure that the
sanctioned amount is being used in an
appropriate manner.
This is done by the help of the different
committees, which are : -
 PAC
 COPU
 Estimates Committee

13. Thank you for your patient hearing.