JPC chief asks for CAG summary
After NDA members in the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) objected to telecom secretary’s presentation before the committee on Thursday, not reflecting properly the irregularities in 2G spectrum allocation, committee chairman P.C. Chacko asked executive summary of the CAG report on the 2G spectrum issue to be part of the next
presentation. Meanwhile, BJP member in the committee, Mr Yashwant Sinha, who was heading a Group of Ministers on telecom issues during the NDA rule, volunteered to depose as witness on matters related to the migration package offered to telecom operators to shift from the fixed license regime to the revenue sharing model. The committee has also asked the Comptroller and Auditor-General and the CBI director to depose before it on May 30 and June 7 respectively.
“We want to know how the estimated figure of `1.76 lakh crores of loss to the national exchequer by the 2G spectrum issue was arrived at. It was on the CAG’s report that this JPC was set up,” said Mr Chacko. The JPC, which was constituted to look into the 2G spectrum issue has begun examining the alleged lapses in telecom sector, starting from the NDA rule when telecom license were changed from fixed to revenue sharing model. The committee will start calling witnesses from June 29 onwards, for which committee members have been asked to give names of people who can be called to depose before the committee.
When asked whether Mr Raja can also be asked to depose, Mr Chacko “they and secretaries (former telecom secretaries) can also be called but only when the list (of witnesses) will be finalised, we can get a clear picture.” He also said that committee is yet to take a decision on Mr Sinha’s offer to depose before the committee.
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