2G: CAG to appear before PAC
New Delhi: Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai will meet with parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday to discuss the audit report on 2G spectrum allocation, according to which a presumptive loss of Rs.1.76 lakh crore has been caused to the exchequer.
The 22-member committee, chaired by Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) MP Murli Manohar Joshi, is scheduled to begin a day-long meeting with Rai at 11 a.m. in Parliament House to discuss the CAG report.
Submitted to parliament on November 16, the 96-page report said the presumptive loss to exchequer through spectrum allocation to 122 licencees and 35 dual technology licences in 2008 was Rs.1,76,645 crore.
It had indicted former communications minister A. Raja for allotting radio frequency to new telecom players at low prices, and even ignoring Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's advice.
The meeting with CAG Rai comes a few days after the PAC had asked for views and suggestions from individuals and organisations on the 2G spectrum allocation.
"Taking into consideration the importance of the subject and the nationwide interest evinced in it, the Committee has decided to invite memoranda containing views/suggestions from various individuals, experts, associations, institutions, organisations interested in the subject matter," it said.
There has been a tug-of-war between the government and opposition on the demand for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the 2G scam, which led to no work being transacted during parliament's November 9-Dec 13 winter session. The government has rejected the demand, saying the PAC was the proper forum to discuss the CAG report.
Last week, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had offered to appear before the PAC, hardening the government's position that there will be no JPC probe.
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