Estimates Committee

-The Estimates Committee, constituted for the first time in 1950 on the recommendation of John Mathai (1st Finance Minister)

-It is a Parliamentary Committee consisting of 30 Members, elected every year by the Lok Sabha only.

-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.

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.