Consultative Committee

The meeting of the Consultative Committee of the Members of Parliament for the Ministry of Steel was held on 24th February 2020.

KEY POINTS

Formation

• These committees are constituted by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.
• These are normally constituted after the new Lok Sabha is constituted.
• This implies that these committees stand dissolved upon dissolution of every Lok Sabha and thus, are reconstituted upon the constitution of each Lok Sabha.

Composition

• The guidelines regarding the composition, functions, and procedures of these committees are formulated by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.
• These consist of members of both the Houses of Parliament.
• However, the membership of these committees is voluntary and is left to the choice of the members and the leaders of their parties.
• The maximum membership of a committee is 30 and the minimum is 10.

Functions

• These committees are attached to various ministries/departments of the Central Government.
• The Minister/Minister of State in charge of the Ministry concerned acts as the chairman of the consultative committee of that ministry.
• These provide a forum for informal discussions between the ministers and the members of Parliament on policies and programs of the government and the manner of their implementation.
• The Consultative Committees are not Parliamentary Committees. A parliamentary committee:
• Is appointed or elected by the House or nominated by the Speaker/Chairman.
• Works under the direction of the Speaker/Chairman.
• Presents its report to the House or to the Speaker/Chairman.
• Has a secretariat provided by the Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha

Source: PIB