The most important function of the committee is to suggest economies in expenditure. The Committee is strictly not concerned with the policy of the government. Its business is to ensure that within the framework of the policy laid down by the government and the House, only the minimum expenditure needed for the purpose of fulfilling the objectives of the government would be incurred.

Other Functions Include

(1) To report what economics, improvements in organisation, efficiency or administrative reform, consistent with the policies underlying the estimates may be effected.

(2) To suggest alternative policies in order to bring about efficiency and economy in administration;

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(3) To examine whether the money is well laid out within the limits of the policy implied in the estimates;

(4) To suggest the form in which the estimates can be presented to the parliament.

(5) If the committee finds that a particular policy laid down by parliament is not leading to the expected or desired results or is leading to waste, it has a duty to bring it to the notice of the Lok Sabha that a change in policy is called for.

Working of the Committee

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The Committee is constituted in June and the work starts from July. The year plan is prepared by selecting such of the estimates as may seem fit to it. Then the office of the committee collects and collates the relevant materials.

It may constitute sub committees, each having the powers of the undivided committee, to examine any matters that may be referred to it, and the reports of such sub-committees are deemed to be the reports of the whole committee, if they are approved at a sitting of the whole committee.

A copy of the report will be submitted to the Lok Sabha. There is no formal debate on the reports of the Estimates Committee.

The report contains three types of recommendations;

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(1) For improving the organisation

(2) For securing the economy

(3) For providing guidance in the presentation of estimates. Evaluation of the Committee

The performance of the Estimates Committee is to the satisfaction of Lok Sabha. It is performing useful work in spotlighting the various acts of omission and commission of the government. In its various reports submitted from time to time, the committee suggested various reforms in financial as well as administrative systems.

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The control exercised by the committee consists of

(1) It being judicial in approach

(2) In representing the peoples’ approach

(3) In preventing the executive from being apprehensive

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(4) In creating a training ground for the legislators

(5) In influencing the policies of government

(6) In acting as a link between the people and the government.

But of late, the Estimates Committees are bypassing their mandate by giving recommendations on the polices and on the structure of departmental organisation to the relevant exclusion of a detailed scrutiny of the estimates for which they are primarily meant.

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But the Estimates Committee is performing a useful role in the Indian administrative system. It keeps the machinery of administration under parliamentary scrutiny, which is a very healthy feature. It acts as a standing committee on administrative improvement by highlighting the shortcomings and mistakes of public organisations. Its role is quite significant as the Government accepts almost all its recommendations.