K V Thomas became Public Account Committee Chief

KV Thomas

Senior Congress leader K V Thomas on 20th August took over as the new chairman of Parliament's public accounts committee. 

The key committee, which examines CAG reports after they are tabled in Parliament, will hold its first meeting next week. 

The post of the PAC chairman is held by a senior member of the opposition party. Murli Manohar Joshi (BJP) was the chairman of the PAC in last Lok Sabha. 

The PAC, constituted every year, consists of not more than 22 members — 15 members elected by Lok Sabha and not more than seven members from Rajya Sabha. 

The PAC's controversial 2011 draft report on the 2G scam, which had strongly indicted former telecom minister A Raja and come down heavily on the PMO and the cabinet secretariat for not taking "corrective action", continued to be on its 'unfinished agenda' for three years. 

Public Accounts Commission (PAC)
• PAC was incepted in the year 1921 and till early 1950 the Finance-member was appointed as the Chairman of the Committee.
• The PAC is constituted every year and it consists of not more than 22 members — 15 members elected by Lok Sabha every year from amongst its members according to the principle of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote and not more than seven members from Rajya Sabha . 
• The Chairman of PAC is appointed by the Speaker from amongst the members of Lok Sabha elected to the Committee.
• As a convention since 1967-68, a senior member of the Committee belonging to the main opposition party/group in the House is appointed as the Chairman of the Committee.
• The chairmanship is for a year, but one person can hold the office for successive terms.
•  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.

Functions of PAC
• The Public Accounts Committee scrutinizes the accounts of the government and the reports of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India after it is tabled in Parliament of India.
• The main duty of the Committee is to ascertain whether the money granted by Parliament has been spent by Government "within the scope of the Demand".
• The Appropriation Accounts of the Government of India and the Audit Reports presented by the Comptroller and Auditor General mainly form the basis for the examination of the Committee.
• The Committee is not concerned with questions of policy. It is concerned only with the execution of the policy laid down by Parliament and its results.
• It is one of the Parliamentary Committees which act as Parliament’s ‘Watch Dogs’ over the executive.

About KV Thomas
• Prof. Kuruppassery Varkey Thomas was born 10 May 1946 in Kumbalanghi, Distt. Kochi (Kerala).
• He has been elected as Member of Parliament for 5 times since 1984 for Indian National Congress Party. 
• He was a Union Minister of State, Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution from 2009 to 2011 and has Independent Charge since 2011 in the same portfolios in Congress led UPA Government.
• He was also a Minister for Tourism, Fisheries and Excise in State Government of Kerala during 2001-2004.
• He published many books in Books in Malayalam (i) Ente Kumbalangi; (ii) Ente Kumbalangiku Shesham; (iii) Kumbalangi Touch; (iv) Kumbalangi Flash; (v) Kumbalangi Varnamkal; (vi) Ammayum Makanum; (vii) Sonia Priyankari; (viii) Ente Leader; (ix) Order, Order, Order.