I. Committee on Public Accounts
231.Committee on Public Accounts
(1) As soon as may be after commencement of the first session of the Assembly, a Committee on Public Accounts shall subject to the provisions of this rule be constituted.
(2) The function of the Committee shall be to examine the accounts showing the appropriation of the sums granted by the Assembly to meet the expenditure of the government of Haryana and such other accounts laid before the Assembly as the committee may think fit.
(3) The Committee on Public Accounts shall consist of not more than nine members who shall be elected by the Assembly from amongst its members according to the principle of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote . 7[Deleted]
(4) The term of office of members of the Committee shall be one year.
(5) Casual vacancies in the Committee shall be filled, as soon as possible after they occur, by election in the manner aforesaid and any person elected to fill such vacancy shall hold office for the period for which the person in whose place he is elected would under the provisions of this rule, have held office.
(6) In order to constitute a meeting of the Committee the quorum shall be three.
(7) (a) The Chairperson of the Committee shall be appointed by the Speaker from amongst the members of the Committee :
Provided that if the Deputy Speaker is a member of the Committee he shall be appointed Chairperson of the Committee :
Provided, however, that if the Chairperson of the Committee during the preceding financial year has served as a Chairperson for less than two years and he is elected a member of the Committee, the Speaker may notwithstanding the first proviso or the proviso to Rule 206 (1) appoint him as the Chairperson of the Committee.
(b) If the Chairperson is for any reason unable to act, the Speaker may similarly appoint another Chairperson in his place.
(c) If the Chairperson is absent from any meeting of the Committee, the Committee shall choose another member to act as Chairperson for that meeting.
(8) In the case of equality of votes on any matter the Chairperson shall have a second or a casting vote.
(9) The Committee may appoint one or more sub- committee, each having the powers of the undivided Committee, to examine any matters that may be referred to them, and the reports of such sub-committees shall be deemed to be the reports of the whole committee if they are approved at a meeting of the whole committee.
(10) The Committee may, if it thinks fit, make available to Government any completed part of its report before presentation to the Such reports shall be treated as confidential until presented to the House.
(11) The Committee may, hear officials or take evidence connected with the accounts under examination. It shall be in the discretion of the Committee to treat any evidence tendered before it as secret or confidential.
(12) (a) The Speaker, may from time to time, issue such directions to the Chairperson of the Committee as he may consider necessary for regulating the procedure and the organisation of its work.
(b) If any doubt arises on any point of procedure or otherwise the Chairperson may, if he thinks fit, refer the point to the Speaker whose decision shall be final.
(13) The Committee shall have power to pass resolutions on matters of procedure for the consideration of the Speaker, who may make such variations in procedure as he may consider necessary.
(14) The Committee may, with the approval of the Speaker, make detailed rules of procedure to supplement the provisions contained in these Rules.
232. Functions of Committee on Public Accounts.
(1) In scrutinising the Appropriation accounts of the Government of Haryana and the report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General thereon it shall be the duty of the Committee on Public Accounts to satisfy itself-
(a) that the money shown in the accounts as having been disbursed were legally available for and applicable to the service or purpose to which they have been applied or charged ;
(b) that the expenditure conforms to the authority which governs it; and
(c) that every re-appropriation has been made in accordance with provisions made in this behalf under the rules framed by competent authority:
Provided that the provision made in clause (c) above shall not apply to any accounts prior to the year 1950-51.
(2) It shall also be a duty of the Committee —
(a) to examine such trading, manufacturing and profit and loss accounts and balance-sheets as the Governor may have required to be prepared, and the Comptroller and Auditor- General’s report thereon;
(b) to consider the report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General in cases where the Governor may have required him to conduct and audit of any receipts or to examine the accounts of stores and stock.