Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday directed that the Shunglu panel report that had severely indicted suspended Prasar Bharati CEO B.S. Lalli and Doordarshan director-general Aruna Sharma for alleged financial irregularities in the Commonwealth Games broadcast deal be referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The PM has also ordered the reversion of Ms Sharma, a 1958 batch IAS officer to her parent cadre of Madhya Pradesh.
Coming down heavily on both the officials, the Prime Minister has also asked the information and broadcasting ministry, the parent ministry, “to seek explanations” from both and “recommend an appropriate course of action within two weeks”.
The Prime Minister’s orders came on a day when the CBI carried out citywide raids in the capital at the residences of five organising committee officials in connection with the Commonwealth Games scam. It has also come just two days after the PM held a press conference in the backdrop of the various scams that UPA 2 is currently battling.
Among his directives vis a vis the broadcast deal, the PM has also asked the ministry to “review the claims made by M/s SIS Live jointly with Prasar Bharati and in consultation with their financial advisers to ensure that there is no over payment.” In case it is found that there was an over-payment, the PM has directed the ministry to “take appropriate action for recovery”.
Furthermore, in an indication that the government is keen to take a relook at the government-Prasar Bharati relationship, the PM has directed that this and certain issues be referred to a group of ministers headed by Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee.
The GoM has also been asked to examine other aspects such as the relationship between the Prasar Bharati CEO and its board, Mr Lalli and the board were frequently at logger-heads. The aim is to ensure that “necessary corrective administrative and legislative measures could be put in place at the earliest”.
The two-member expert panel headed by former CAG, V.K. Shunglu had severely indicted both Mr Lalli and Ms Sharma for the alleged irregularities in its interim report to the PM earlier this month, it had even accused the duo of “collusion” with the UK-based SIS Live and Zoom Communications and suggested action against both.
The Shunglu panel, incidentally, had said in its report that “Certain actions seem to attract penal provisions under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.”
Following the report, the PMO had asked Cabinet secretary K.M. Chandrasekar to give his suggestions on it.
The information and broadcasting ministry too, it is understood, had recommended that action be taken against the two officials named in the report.