Bhubaneswar: Odisha Legislative Assembly Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairperson Pramila Mallick on Thursday stressed the need for greater transparency, accountability and sound financial management in government expenditure, underlining the committee’s crucial role in strengthening parliamentary democracy.
Speaking at the conference of Chairpersons of Public Accounts Committees of Parliament and state legislatures in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Mallick shared her views on the theme ‘Audit, Accountability and Good Governance’.
She said the PAC serves as a vital institutional mechanism for scrutinising government expenditure, monitoring the utilisation of public funds and ensuring executive accountability.
Emphasising responsible financial governance, Mallick said every rupee of public money must be spent on people’s welfare and contribute to the development of the state and the country.
Odisha PAC member and MLA Arun Kumar Sahu, who also participated in the deliberations, stressed the need to assess the committee’s effectiveness in discharging its core responsibilities. He called for the timely completion of important audit exercises and stringent action, including exemplary punishment, against those found responsible for irregularities.
The conference was attended by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee Chairman K C Venugopal and Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan, among other dignitaries. Representatives from Parliament and 20 states and Union Territories participated in the event.
Other Odisha PAC members, including MLAs Ramachandra Kadam and Amar Kumar Nayak, along with Assembly Secretary Satyabrata Rout, also attended the conference.
