The Union government and opposition parties are locked in a tussle over the formation of the department-related parliamentary standing committees. As a result, more than three months after the swearing in of the new government, a large number of these committees, which play a pivotal role in legislative oversight, are yet to be constituted. Parliamentary committees are a cornerstone of democratic governance. Their absence affects policy scrutiny, accountability and transparency in law-making. The stalemate over their formation is seemingly over differences between the government and opposition parties over the choice of ministries.
The Lok Sabha speaker constituted six committees last month. The Congress, the largest opposition party, was given chairmanship of the all-important public accounts committee that examines government expenditure and the audit reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General. The party also sought the chairmanship of the panels related to home, defence, finance and external affairs. The government, however, turned down the request; these committees are yet to be set up.
Other major opposition parties such as the DMK, Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress also want chairmanship of committees related to important ministries. The government is yet to make its offer. The delay in formation of these committees impacts collaborative, bipartisan governance and erodes the checks and balances that are fundamental to the functioning of a representative democracy. The committees help evolve consensus in law-making and strengthen the role of parliament. It is important for the government to expeditiously set them up and reaffirm its commitment to democratic decision-making.
The Indian parliament has 24 standing committees that cover all ministries and departments of the Centre. While parliament is usually convened thrice a year for the budget, monsoon and winter sessions and sits for 60-70 days a year on average, the parliamentary committees work through the year and resolve a bulk of contentious legislative issues. The committee members come from diverse backgrounds and bring their expertise to the scrutiny of bills. They also engage with domain experts, stakeholders and officials on specialised subjects. Since its expansion in 1993, the committee system has proved to be a strong pillar of our democracy. For the sake of transparency, the government needs to respect the time-honoured tradition of facilitating the smooth functioning of these mini-parliaments.