Thiruvananthapuram, Nov. 3 -- Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday called upon the Public Accounts Committees (PACs) of Parliament and State Legislatures to strengthen their role as guardians of public money, emphasising that every rupee drawn from the public exchequer must be properly accounted for and utilised fully for the purpose for which it was sanctioned.

He said that transparency and accountability are the cornerstones of democracy and that the ultimate measure of public expenditure must be the positive difference it makes to the lives of ordinary citizens.

Inaugurating the Conference of Chairpersons of Public Accounts Committees of Parliament and State Legislatures in Thiruvananthapuram, Birla said that the PAC is a vital inst...