BENGALURU: Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri on Saturday appointed former minister and Byatarayanapura Congress MLA Krishna Byregowda as the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), after former speaker KR Ramesh Kumar refused to take charge, citing personal reasons.
But Kumar will continue as a member of the 20-member PAC, which plays a significant role in keeping a check on the government's expenditure, and also seeks probes over any noticeable discrepancies. It was on December 27 that the Speaker formed the six standing committees, including the PAC.
Forty-eight-year-old Byregowda is the youngest chairman of the PAC, the post which was held by senior Congress leader HK Patil. It may be noted that the recent controversial remarks by Ramesh Kumar during the Belagavi winter session had landed him in a soup, for which he later apologised.