Amid reports that the Public Accounts Committee is likely to take up the AgustaWestland case, its Chairperson K V Thomas today said the newly constituted PAC has not met but anything under defence can be examined by its sub-committee on the subject.
"As of now, the present PAC has not taken up any decision on any subject," Thomas, who is also a senior Congress leader, told PTI when asked whether PAC will examine the controversial deal to acquire the VVIP helicopters.
"PAC can suo motu take the subject. For example, we have taken suo motu the issue of burgeoning Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) of Public Sector Banks. But the new PAC, which has been constituted very recently, has not yet met to decide what should be the subject for next one year."
"Only after the Committee meets, decision would be taken on what all subjects should be examined by PAC in the Financial Year 2016-17," he said.
Pressed further, Thomas said, "When PAC meets, we suggest a number of subjects...Then we choose the subject, there is a priority for everything. And we also have five sub-committees, one sub-committee for defence...That sub-committee can also examine anything under defence. As on now, no decision has been taken."
He said usually PAC takes up any issue CAG has examined after it submits its report in Parliament.
CAG had submitted a report on the acquisition of the VVIP helicopters on August 13, 2013, concluding that the process, from framing of quality requirements to the conclusion of the contract, differed from established procurement procedures.
The CAG findings were widely referred to when the issue was discussed in Parliament this week with both the ruling and the Opposition benches trying to browbeat each other.
The reconstituted PAC, which will have a term of one year starting from May 1 this year to April 30, 2017, is yet to hold its first meeting.
