The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), Mr Vinod Rai, is all set to appear before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday to put forth his views to the panel.
His report of the `1.76-lakh crore presumptive loss to the exchequer in 2G spectrum allocation had stirred a hornet’s nest in Parliament with the Opposition demanding a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) over it and the government rejecting it.
This meeting assumes importance in the wake of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh voluntarily declaring that he was willing to appear before the PAC, though no official communication has been sent to the PAC by the PMO.
The PAC is headed by senior BJP leader and former Union minister Murli Manohar Joshi. The PAC has already invited views and suggestions over the allocation of 2G spectrum. The Lok Sabha Secretariat, in its notification, has said, “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.”
Until now, the PAC has received the views of the Department of Telecommu nications, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), finance ministry and some adepts in the field of telecom who have already given their views on the issue.
The decision to ask the CAG to depose before the PAC was taken in the last meeting that was held earlier in December. It was in this meeting that former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura, aided by the communication between former telecom minister A. Raja and the Prime Minister, is reported to have squarely blamed Mr Raja for having taken all decisions unilaterally.