JPC to call all former Telecom Ministers from 1998 over 2G case

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The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining telecom policies in the wake of the 2G scam on Tuesday decided to call all former Telecom Ministers since 1998, including A Raja to depose before it.

CBI Director A P Singh and two senior CBI officials briefed the JPC on the probe agency's inputs related to its investigation into the scam, Committee Chairman P C Chacko told reporters here.

Singh briefed the JPC on the investigation into the 2G scam and said a third charge sheet into the matter would be filed during the current month.

Chacko said the CBI was also probing the alleged delay of two years in granting telecom licences to Aircel between 2004 and 2006. Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran was heading the telecom ministry then.

Fourteen licences were issued to Aircel Maxis in 2004 but the licences were given in 2006. "The CBI is probing why there was a delay," Chacko said.

Singh and his team briefed the JPC about the "progress and findings" into the alleged irregularities into the 2G spectrum allocation in January 2008.

Chacko said the JPC has also finalised a list of 85 witnesses who would be asked to be present for recording of evidence in connection with the telecom policies.

Secretaries of the Departments of Telecom, Law, Finance, Revenue Corporate Affairs will be asked to appear before the JPC, he said.

"All former Telecom Ministers since 1998 will also be called for recording of evidence," Chacko said.

Asked whether Raja, who is in prison in connection with the 2G allocations, would be called, he said the Committee can issue summons to those in jail be produced before it.

"They will be produced before the Committee by the authorities," was all Chacko said to persistent questions on whether Raja or Shahid Balwa of the DB Realty-Swan Telecom would be asked to appear as witnesses before the JPC.

Chacko said TRAI Chairman J S Sarma, Attorney General Goolam Vahanvati, CBI Director A P Singh will be among those who would be asked to appear as witnesses before the JPC.

All the former chairmen of TRAI, former Secretaries of the Department of Telecom, former Finance Secretary, BSNL Chairman between 1997-98, representatives of 11 firms which benefited in 2008 and 22 private companies which got advantage due to 1999 telecom migration policy will be asked to appear.

Chacko said the Committee has not received any suggestion to call officials of the Prime Minister's Office as witnesses.

He termed as unfortunate reports in a section of the media that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee would be called for recording of evidence by the JPC.