Constitution of the Committee :

The Committee consists of not more than 22 members comprising 15 members elected by Lok Sabha every year from amongst its members according to the principle of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote and not more than 7 members of Rajya Sabha elected by that House in like manner are associated with the Committee. The Chairman is appointed by the Speaker from amongst its members of Lok Sabha. The Speaker, for the first time, appointed a member of the Opposition as the Chairman of the Committee for 1967-68. This practice has been continued since then. A Minister is not eligible to be elected as a member of the Committee. If a member, after his election to the Committee is appointed a Minister, he ceases to be a member of the Committee from the date of such appointment.

The Public Accounts Committee satisfies itself:-

(a) that the money shown in the accounts as having been disbursed were legally available for, and applicable to the service or purpose to which they have been applied or charged;

(b) that the expenditure conforms to the authority which governs it; and

(c) That every re-appropriation has been made in accordance with the provisions made in this behalf under rules framed by the competent authority.

It is also the duty of the PAC to examine the statement of accounts of autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies, the audit of which is conducted by the Comptroller & Auditor General either under the directions of the President or by a Statute of Parliament.