Officials and Committees in State Legislative Assembly

Officials and Committees in State Legislative Assembly

Speaker of the State Legislative Assembly:

The Speaker is elected by the Members of Legislative Assembly itself, and is the Presiding Officer of the Assembly. The Speaker has the responsibilities and powers of conducting business of the assembly in orderly manner, maintaining decorum and regulating its procedure in terms of allowing the members to question, speak on matters of importance, budget and grants. The Speaker is the interpreter of the provisions of the Constitution, rules of procedure in the assembly proceedings, rules of procedure and legislative precedents within the Assembly. The Speaker has the power to adjourn, suspend and resume the sessions and suspend the members from participating in the session when there is a violation of rules, procedures and regulations of the assembly.

The Speaker has to generally maintain neutrality and impartiality while conducting the business of the house. The Speaker’s vote becomes more important when there is a tie on any issue regarding passing of bill, motion and resolutions. The Speaker’s decision is final in regulating the conduct of members and in matters of procedure or maintaining order in the house. And in such matters the Speaker is not to be subjected to judicial intervention. The Speaker appoints the Chairmen of all the Committees and supervises their functioning.

The Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker is also elected by the members of the Assembly from amongst themselves. He performs the duties and responsibilities of the Speaker as his absence and presides over the Assembly in the absence of the Speaker. The deputy Speaker has also powers on par with the Speaker within the House. Any member existing in a panel can preside over the House in case of absence of Speaker and the deputy Speaker.

Committees of the Parliament

Broadly, parliamentary Committees are of two kinds - Standing Committee and Ad Hoc Committees. The former are permanent (constituted every year or periodically) and work on a continuous basis, while the latter are temporary and cease to exist on completion of the task assigned to them.

Standing Committees

On the basis of the nature of functions performed by them, standing Committees can be classified into the following six categories:

1. Financial Committees

a) Public Accounts Committee

b) Estimates Committee

c) Committee on Public Undertakings

2. Departmental Standing Committees (24)

3. Committees to Inquire

a) Committee on Petitions

b) Committee of Privileges

c) Ethics Committee

4. Committees to Scrutinise and Control

a) Committee on Government Assurances

b) Committee on Subordinate Legislation

c) Committee on Papers Laid on the Table

d) Committee on Welfare of SC’s and ST’s

e) Committee on Empowerment of Women

f) Joint Committee on Offices of Profit

5. Committees Relating to the Day-to-Day Business of the House

a) Business Advisory Committee

b) Committee on Private Members’ Bills and Resolutions

c) Rules Committee

d) Committee on Absence of Members from Sittings of the House

6. House-Keeping Committees or Service Committees (i.e. Committee concerned with the Provision of Facilities and Service to Members):

a) General Purposes Committee

b) House Committee

c) Library Committee

d) Joint Committee on Salaries and Allowances of Members

Ad Hoc Committee

Ad Hoc Committees can be divided into two categories, that is, Inquiry Committees and Advisory Committees.

Committee on Estimates: The major responsibility of the Committee is to suggest the examiner, estimator and recommendation on matters related to economic related policy issues and alternative policies, administrative reform, undertaking the tours and visits within and outside the state to study various schemes under execution in regard to the estimates under examination.

Committee on Public Accounts: The important functions of the Committee are to scrutinise the Appropriation Accounts of the State and the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India (Civil). Also looks into the Revenue receipts and the disbursement of money shown in the accounts applicable to the services or purposes to which they had been applied and charged.

Committee on Public Undertakings: This Committee is to examine the Audit reports and accounts of Public Undertaking from time to time. The Committee also examines the autonomy and efficiency of the Public Undertakings. This Committee is also taking note on the affairs of the Public Undertakings are being managed in accordance with sound business principles and prudent commercial practices. The Committee also examines the Reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on the Public Undertakings. The Committee examines the working of the Undertakings under its purview, hears officials or takes evidence connected with such undertakings and makes recommendations to the House.