II. Committee on Estimates
(1) There shall be a Committee on Estimates for the examination of such of the estimates as may seem fit to the Committee or are specifically referred to it by the Assembly. The functions of the Committee shall be—
(a) to report what economics improvements in organization, 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 the Assembly.
(2) The Committee shall consist of not more than nine members who shall be elected by the Assembly every year from amongst its members according to the principle of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote:
Provided that a Minister shall not be appointed to be a member of the Committee, or if a member after election to the Committee is appointed a Minister he shall cease to be a member of the Committee from the date of such appointment.
(3) The term of the office of the members of the Committee shall be one year.
(4) 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.
(5) (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.
(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 the Committee shall choose another member to act as Chairperson for that meeting.
(6) In order to constitute a meeting of the Committee, the quorum shall be three.
(7) If a member is absent from three or more consecutive meetings of the Committee without the permission of the Chairperson, the Chairperson may recommend the removal of such member from the Committee to the Speaker, who may, if he thinks fit, remove such member.
Explanation:—For the purposes of this sub-rule the meeting of the Committee held on consecutive days shall be reckoned as one meeting.
(8) In the case of an equality of votes of any matter, the Chairperson shall have a second or casting vote.
(9) The Committee may appoint one or more sub-committees 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 the State Government any completed part of its report before presentation to the Assembly. Such reports shall be treated as confidential until presented to the Assembly.
(11) The Committee may hear officials, take other evidence, do physical verifications, make on-the-spot study of facts or call for any record connected with the estimates 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 its 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 the 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.
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