Army, IAF chiefs before PAC Jan. 12
In an unprecedented development, chiefs of the Army and the Air Force will appear before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Wednesday in connection with alleged irregularities in the Canteen Stores Department supplies. Naval Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma, who has also been called along with his counterparts of the Army and the Air Force to appear before the PAC, would, however, be represented by Vice-Chief, Vice-Admiral D.K. Deewan, as he will be travelling to Indonesia on a “pre-scheduled” four-day visit beginning Sunday, sources said on Saturday. The PAC had called the chiefs of the three defence services for a hearing on January 12 based on a CAG report which has pointed out irregularities in the supply chain management of rations by CSD.
The defence ministry, which received the communication, advised the service chiefs to appear before the PAC apparently to underline the committee’s immense significance at a time when the government is seeking to project it as a body as important as the joint parliamentary committee in the 2G spectrum issue, the sources said.
Accordingly, the PAC has been informed that Army Chief Gen. V.K. Singh and Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik would be appearing before it, they said. This would be the first time that the chiefs of armed forces would appear before the PAC as usually the defence secretary attends such meetings of the parliamentary committees along with vice-chiefs of the services.
However, soon after the defence ministry received the PAC letter, Army sources had said the service chiefs were unlikely to appear before the committee and instead vice-chiefs and Quarter Master General equivalents would represent their forces.
Post new comment