Rajasthan Assembly Speaker Constitutes 16 House Committees for 2026-27
In a significant administrative move, Rajasthan Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani on Thursday announced the formation of 16 House committees for the 2026-27 term. The committees, which include 12 general and four financial panels, will serve until March 31 of the following year. This restructuring aims to streamline legislative functions and oversight in the state assembly.
Key Appointments and Committee Leadership
Speaker Vasudev Devnani will serve as the ex-officio chairperson of the crucial Rules Committee, which also includes prominent political figures. Notably, former chief ministers Vasundhara Raje and Ashok Gehlot, along with former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, have been nominated as members of this committee. This marks a rare instance where top leaders from both major parties are represented on the same panel.
The distribution of committee chairpersons reflects the current political composition of the assembly. BJP MLAs will chair 11 of the 16 committees, while Congress MLAs will head three panels. The remaining committees have ex-officio leadership or other arrangements.
Notable Committee Chairpersons and Members
Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully has been appointed as the chairperson of the important Public Accounts Committee, a key oversight body. Congress MLA Rajendra Pareek will head the Questions and References Committee, while Narendra Budaniya will chair the Committee on Welfare of Backward Classes.
In another significant development, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has been included as a member of the General Purposes Committee for the first time. Speaker Devnani will serve as the ex-officio chairperson of this 16-member panel, which also includes Opposition Leader Jully and several senior MLAs from across party lines.
Representation and Specialized Committees
Only one committee will be chaired by a woman MLA, with BJP's Kalpana Devi heading the Committee on Welfare of Women and Children. This has raised questions about gender representation in committee leadership positions.
Other important appointments include:
- Ramesh Khinchi as chairperson of the Scheduled Caste Welfare Committee
- Phool Singh Meena heading the Scheduled Tribe Welfare Committee
- Jaswant Singh Yadav leading the Committee on Home, Local Bodies, and Panchayati Raj Institutions
- Harisingh Rawat chairing the Library and Government Assurances Committee
- Kailash Chand Varma heading the Petition and Ethics Committee
- Jitendra Kumar Gothwal chairing the Privileges and Subordinate Legislation Committee
- Kesaram Chaudhary leading the Committee on Welfare of Minorities and Environment
Financial Committees and Their Leadership
Speaker Devnani also constituted the four financial committees that play a crucial role in budgetary oversight:
- Public Accounts Committee: Chairperson - Tikaram Jully
- Estimates Committee "A": Chairperson - Sandeep Sharma
- Estimates Committee "B": Chairperson - Babu Singh Rathore
- Public Undertakings Committee: Chairperson - Kalicharan Saraf
The formation of these committees represents a comprehensive restructuring of the Rajasthan Assembly's working groups. With representation from across the political spectrum and specialized focus on various social and administrative areas, these committees are expected to play a vital role in legislative scrutiny and policy oversight during their tenure until March 31, 2027.
