Mumbai, June 24 (IANS) Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan on Tuesday said the legislative committees must proactively harness tools of data analytics, dashboards, and AI-powered audit platforms to track budget performance and service delivery in real time.

“As of 2024, the combined outstanding liabilities of all Indian states and UTs reached Rs 83.3 lakh crore. With States often spending more than 55 per cent of their revenue receipts on committed expenditures like salaries, pensions and interest payments, there is an urgent need to look beyond traditional methods,” he added.

The Governor was speaking at the Concluding Ceremony of the National Conference of Estimates Committees of Parliament, State Legislatures and Union Territories here.

The Governor emphasised the need for creation of sector-wise sub-committees within the Estimates Committee – for education, health, infrastructure – so that review is both focussed and expert-driven.

He claimed that over the past 75 years the Estimates Committee has evolved into a formidable instrument of oversight, guiding the efficient allocation of public funds, reviewing performance and recommending improvements across ministries and departments.

“As government spending continues to expand in both scale and complexity, the Estimates Committee’s role will only become more critical and challenging. Setting up mechanisms for citizen feedback on public spending can strengthen the committee’s scrutiny of grassroots implementation,” said the Governor.

In a democratic set-up, the consensus-driven, non-partisan nature of Estimates Committees gives them moral strength.

“Their constructive and fearless analysis has improved decision-making and reinforced public trust in our institutions,” said the Governor.

He added that States and Union Territories should routinely exchange best practices and innovations through collaborative platforms so that successful models in one state can inspire reforms in others.

“Legislative committees like the Estimates Committee are the conscience-keepers of the Executive, ensuring that the public exchequer is spent wisely, efficiently, and justly. As India prepares to achieve the goal of a $5 trillion economy in the near future and that of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047, the role of the Estimates Committee and other committees assumes significance,” he remarked.

“This ‘Amrit kaal’ presents us with a valuable opportunity to make collective efforts towards establishing Bharat as a global leader. We must strive to develop modern systems across all democratic institutions, inspired by the Bharatiya thought process, so that our nation secures its rightful place on the world stage as a strong, prosperous country dedicated to the welfare of all,” said the Governor.

Meanwhile, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Singh and Maharashtra Legislative Council Leader of Opposition Ambadas Danve spoke on the occasion while Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker Anna Bansode proposed a vote of thanks.

Maharashtra Legislative Council Chairman Ram Shinde, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar, Maharashtra Legislative Council Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe and Maharashtra Legislative Estimates Committee Chairman Arjun Khotkar were present at the concluding function.

–IANS

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