The joint parliamentary committee (JPC) on Tuesday decided to summon finance secretary R.S. Gujral on October 12 to explain why the ministry’s note on 2G spectrum issue to the Prime Minister’s Office, was not submitted before the panel.
Noting that an “important document (2G note)” was not available with the panel and its existence was learnt only through the media, JPC chairman P.C. Chacko said all departments and ministries related to the 2G issue have been asked to furnish an affidavit stating that “all relevant” documents will be submitted before the panel. Secretary, Depar-tment of Economic Affairs, R. Gopalan has also been asked to appear before the panel on October 12.
Mr Chacko said even PMO has been requested to submit these documents. The JPC had last week sought details of the note from the finance ministry which then made available copies of the note to the panel members.
“We do not want any department to hold back information,” he said. Mr Chacko said that though JPC’s reference period is from 1998 to 2009 and the note is a recent document, it pertains to the reference period. The note suggests the then finance minister P. Chidambaram could have prevented the 2G spectrum scam if he had insisted on the auction of the spectrum.
Opposition members in the panel vociferously raised this issue in Tuesday’s meeting and some of them demanded that Mr Gujral should be summoned Tuesday itself. However, Mr Chacko said it will not be possible to summon him at such a short notice. These members said non submission of the note before the panel was a serious lapse on the part of the finance ministry.
Sources disclosed CPI(M) member Sitaram Yechury contended that if the non-submission of the 2G note was a deliberate act, it amounted to breach of privilege and if it was a lapse, it was a serious one. BJP member S.S. Ahluwalia and CPI member Gurudas Dasgupta demanded that Tuesday’s meeting should be adjourned till the finance secretary appeared before the committee.
After a three-hour debate on the 2G note issue, the JPC finally recorded evidence of former telecom secretary Nripendra Mishra. But the meeting was soon adjourned for the day. The JPC meeting scheduled for Wednesday has also been cancelled. Former telecom secretary Brijesh Kumar was to appear before it and the CBI was to update the JPC on the progress in the 2G case.
The panel has asked all investigating agencies to regularly update it on the 2G issue.