Punjab Assembly Committee on Panchayati Raj Institutions

According to the Punjab Government Gazette, 2021 the functions of the committee are defined below.[4]

(1) There shall be a Committee on Panchayati Raj Institutions consisting of not more than thirteen Members for the examination of the working of the Panchayati Raj Institutions which Shall mean and include Panchayat Samities and Zila Parishads.

(2) The committee shall be nominated by the Speaker and the term of office of the Members of the Committee shall be one year.

Functions of the Committee

The functions of the Committee shall be

(a) to examine the audit reports and accounts of the Panchayati Raj Institutions as may be selected by the Committee;

(b) to examine the reports, if any, of the Examiner, Local Fund Accounts laid on the Table of the House;

(c) to examine in the context of autonomy, whether affairs of the Panchayati Raj Institutions are being managed in accordance with the provisions of law;

(d) to examine any other aspect of the working of any Panchayati Raj Institutions, as may be referred to it by the Speaker.

(e) to examine the annual technical inspection reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General on Panchayati Raj Institutions, if any, laid on the Table of the House.

Provided that the Committee shall not examine and investigate any of the following, namely :-

(i) matters of major Government policy as distinct from the working of the Panchayati Raj Institutions;

(ii) matters relating to day-to-day administration of Panchayati Raj Institutions; and

(iii) matters for the consideration of which machinery is established by any special statute under which the Panchayati Raj Institutions are established.

The speaker appoints the committee and its members every year for a one year term according to the powers conferred by Article 208 of the Constitution of India read with section 32 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 (37 of 1956), and in pursuance of Rules 232(1) and 2(b) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Punjab Legislative Assembly.[4]

For the one year period starting May 2022, the Committee on Panchayati Raj Institutions of 16th Punjab Assembly had following members:[1][5]

Since 2021, Punjab Assembly 'Committee Local Bodies and Panchayati Raj Institutions' has been split into committees, namely 'Committee on Local Bodies' and 'Committee on Panchayati Raj Institutions'.