Congress leader KC Venugopal has been reappointed as the Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), following the committee’s reconstitution on May 1, 2025, the Lok Sabha Secretariat confirmed.
The Public Accounts Committee, regarded as the oldest and most prestigious parliamentary committee, plays a vital role in scrutinizing government expenditures. It is reconstituted annually to examine the appropriation of funds sanctioned by Parliament and review various accounts, including those of autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies.
The PAC reviews reports submitted by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India across sectors such as civil administration, defence, railways, taxation, and more. It also analyzes performance appraisals of Centrally Sponsored Schemes and takes up suo motu subjects for review.
In accordance with a convention established in 1967, the chair of the PAC is traditionally given to a prominent Opposition leader in the Lok Sabha. Over the decades, the committee has been chaired by notable leaders such as Atal Bihari Vajpayee, PV Narasimha Rao, Murli Manohar Joshi, and R Venkataraman.
During the first year of the 18th Lok Sabha (2024–25), the PAC has already shown notable diligence, examining a variety of CAG performance audits and transaction audit paragraphs, focusing on financial irregularities, inefficiencies, and tax administration.
Venugopal’s reappointment is seen as a continuation of the committee’s legacy of rigorous accountability and bipartisan scrutiny of public finances.