2G allocation losses: Government demands Murli Manohar Joshi, CAG clear air
RP Singh said that the CAG's 2G report had been influenced by PAC chief Murli Manohar Joshi and the loss figure mentioned in the report was presumptive.
By Agencies | Updated:
NEW DELHI: Fresh political wars erupted on Friday after former Director General of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) R P Singh questioned estimates of presumptive loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore in the 2G spectrum allocation.
"After completing the audit of Ministry of Telecom, which was under my direct charge, I prepared a draft audit report covering each and every aspect ... My report did not contain any loss figure," said former Director General of CAG R P Singh on Thursday.
RP Singh also said that the CAG's 2G report had been influenced by Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chief and BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi and the loss figure mentioned in the report was presumptive.
Taking note of allegations, the government demanded that PAC Chairperson Murli Manohar Joshi and CAG clear the air on the issue.
"The issues raised by R P Singh, former DG, P&T, in CAG are very germane. What is extremely important is that in May 2010 when the draft report was prepared the loss was quantified at Rs 2,645 crore but in November 2010 when the report was presented in Parliament this loss jumped to Rs 1.76 Lakh crore. How did this leap of faith take place?" Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari told reporters.
Tewari asked who was responsible for increasing the presumptive loss figures and said this issue should be addressed by the CAG.
"The second question is about propriety. The PAC is supposed to independently exercise oversight over the reports of CAG. If what R P Singh has said is true about the CAG officials actually taking assistance of the PAC in the preparation of its report, does this not amount to a conflict of interest?" Tewari said.
He sought to know if this is a convention or a tradition which has been followed earlier and whether this was done officially or unofficially.
"These are questions that the PAC Chairperson, Murli Manohar Joshi, for whom I have the utmost respect, needs to answer," the minister said.
"After completing the audit of Ministry of Telecom, which was under my direct charge, I prepared a draft audit report covering each and every aspect ... My report did not contain any loss figure," said former Director General of CAG R P Singh on Thursday.
RP Singh also said that the CAG's 2G report had been influenced by Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chief and BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi and the loss figure mentioned in the report was presumptive.
Taking note of allegations, the government demanded that PAC Chairperson Murli Manohar Joshi and CAG clear the air on the issue.
"The issues raised by R P Singh, former DG, P&T, in CAG are very germane. What is extremely important is that in May 2010 when the draft report was prepared the loss was quantified at Rs 2,645 crore but in November 2010 when the report was presented in Parliament this loss jumped to Rs 1.76 Lakh crore. How did this leap of faith take place?" Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari told reporters.
Tewari asked who was responsible for increasing the presumptive loss figures and said this issue should be addressed by the CAG.
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"The second question is about propriety. The PAC is supposed to independently exercise oversight over the reports of CAG. If what R P Singh has said is true about the CAG officials actually taking assistance of the PAC in the preparation of its report, does this not amount to a conflict of interest?" Tewari said.
He sought to know if this is a convention or a tradition which has been followed earlier and whether this was done officially or unofficially.
"These are questions that the PAC Chairperson, Murli Manohar Joshi, for whom I have the utmost respect, needs to answer," the minister said.
INC leader Digvijaya Singh on the other hand questioned how draft reports of the CAG get leaked to media before they are submitted to Parliament. He also acknowledged that RP Singh's charge was a serious one. "My information was that 2G report was prepared before Vinod Rai came in. He ordered a re-audit. Why?," he questioned.
R P Singh had said his report carried "two types of figures which indicate the less recovery" based on Rs 1,658 crore that was charged for giving out pan-India licence along with spectrum.
"Another figure which I had indicated not as exactly as a loss but that amount that can be recovered . I found some people having more spectrum than what is provided under contractual agreement," Singh said in an interview to television channel Times Now.
He said that his report mentioned that Rs 37,000 crore can be recovered from those holding excess spectrum.
The CAG report, which was tabled in Parliament in November 2010, had pegged the revenue loss to the exchequer on account of allocation of 2G spectrum in 2008 at whooping Rs 1.76 lakh crore raising a political storm that led to sacking of Telecommunications Minister A Raja and setting up of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe the issue.
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The controversy over 2G spectrum allocation also led to cancellation to 122 licences by the Supreme Court. The issue took a different turn when the recently concluded auction of 2G spectrum evoked lukewarm response and the government managing to garner only Rs 9,407 crore.
Several central ministers including Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Telecommunications Minister Kapil Sibal had described the CAG's loss estimate of Rs 1.76 lakh crore as "mythical".
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