Joshi not allowed to table 2G report

PTI

New Delhi, 28 June 2011: Parliament`s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) witnessed a stormy meeting on Tuesday as its chairperson Murli Manohar Joshi tried to table the 2G scam report, which was returned by the Lok Sabha Speaker. He was not allowed to table the report.

 

Earlier, Joshi clearly stated that the 2G spectrum scam report, that was returned by Speaker Meira Kumar as it had not been adopted and passed by members of the outgoing PAC, will be tabled in the Tuesday`s meeting of the panel.

 

"The new PAC will decide what should be done with the report," Joshi had told reporters on June 17. Since the divisions within the new PAC on the issue are still on party lines on the 2G scam report, any move to table the controversial document will be opposed by the Congress.

The ruling coalition has a majority in the new PAC as well. Congress members in the new PAC have already indicated that they would not allow the new panel to take up the 2G spectrum allocation scam as a JPC is already looking into it.

 

A UPA member of the new PAC said that the tabling of the controversial 2G report is not listed in Tuesday`s agenda which has among others, a draft report on accelerated rural water supply programme based on a CAG report of 2008, and a few other draft reports for consideration and adoption. Sources said the revelations made in a CAG draft report, `leaked` to the media, on alleged favours to Reliance Industries in the KG Basin may also figure in the PAC meeting.

 

"The PAC can take suo moto cognisance of the issue like it did in the 2G scam case instead of waiting for the CAG report to be sent to the panel," a PAC member said. The CAG report has alleged that between 2004-06, the Petroleum Ministry circumvented rules to allow Mukesh Ambani`s Reliance Industries Limited (PIL) to benefit at the cost of government`s own financial stake in development of KG Basin.