New Delhi: Bhubaneswar MP and senior BJP leader Aparajita Sarangi has been appointed as convener of Defence Sub-Committee of the Lok Sabha’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for the 2026-27 term.
According to an official Lok Sabha bulletin issued on June 16, the sub-committee was constituted by the PAC Chairperson to rigorously examine key defence expenditures and audit observations. Sarangi, a former bureaucrat known for her administrative acumen, will lead a panel featuring several prominent lawmakers, including Dr C.M. Ramesh as the alternate Convener, alongside Tejasvi Surya, Ravi Shankar Prasad, and Akhilesh Prasad Singh, among others.
The newly formed panel is slated to take on a massive oversight role, diving deep into several critical Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) reports spanning the last few years.
According to parliamentary sources, the sub-committee’s immediate focus will be on addressing financial and operational lapses within defence infrastructure and medical management. This includes a strict review of internal controls and quality assurance in Military Engineer Services (MES) contracts, alongside an evaluation of the management and utilisation of both Air Force and Ordnance Factory hospitals.
Furthermore, the Sarangi-led panel will scrutinise major procurement and construction controversies that have drawn audit flak.
Notably, the committee will investigate the abandonment of newly constructed buildings worth Rs 166.16 crore, which were deserted due to substandard construction and subsequent delays in fixing accountability. The panel is also tasked with examining the procurement processes undertaken by the Indian Army under the Fast Track Procedure with additional waivers, ensuring that national security acquisitions maintain absolute transparency.
Beyond logistics and infrastructure, the sub-committee will turn its lens toward human resources, training, and strategic operations within the armed forces. It will review the selection and training protocols of officers in the Indian Army, as well as the transition of NCC cadets and Sainik School students into officer roles. Long-standing issues, such as avalanche forecasting and mitigation activities in high-altitude zones and the production efficiency of small arms in ordnance factories, are also high on the panel’s agenda for the 2026-27 tenure.
