Mumbai: Expressing serious concern over excess expenditure by various state legislatures, Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi on February 4 called on the presiding officers to impress upon their respective public account committees (PACs) to expeditiously examine all instances of excess expenditure.

"It is a matter of great regret that a mandatory Constitutional provision concerning financial procedure to be followed and having direct bearing on executive's accountability is being disregarded by some of the states, which have not examined their excess expenditure for more than a decade," Joshi lamented.

"Financial discipline is the crux of accountability," the Lok Sabha Speaker emphasised while delivering his inaugural address at the 66th conference of presiding officers of legislative bodies in India at Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai.

"Needless to say, this should constitute a matter of serious anxiety and concern as any expenditure incurred without the authority of legislature is irregular and unauthorised," he further stated.

Article 115 (1) (b) of the Constitution enjoins upon the executive to lay the annual financial statement before the legislature, showing the actual expenditure incurred in excess of authorisation. Article 205 (b) casts similar responsibility on the states.

PTI