2G scam: CAG report tabled in Parliament

New Delhi : The 2G Spectrum scam continued to rock Parliament on Tuesday as the CAG report on the scam was tabled amidst Opposition clamour for a JPC to probe the matter, while Union Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee made a futile attempt to break the impasse at a luncheon later.

The luncheon, convened by Mukherjee to evolve a solution to the impasse in the Parliament over the 2G Spectrum scam, ended without much success.

Reports said that the political leaders who converged at the lunch meeting failed to reach any solution acceptable to all sides.

The Opposition has stalled proceedings in the Parliament since the beginning of the current Winter Session, demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to investigate the 2G scam.

The government has refused to constitute the JPC, pointing that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is already probing the scam and a thorough audit of the 2G allocation will be studied by the Public Accounts Committee, which is headed by a leader of the Opposition.

The Opposition, however, argued that the CBI cannot be expected to investigate in an impartial manner and accused the government of using the federal investigating body for political gains.

Meanwhile, the CAG report on the 2G Spectrum scam was tabled in both the Houses of Parliament in the brief business that was transacted before proceedings were adjourned for the day amidst Opposition protests over the scam.

The 77-page report was tabled in the Lower House by Minister of State for Finance S S Palanimanickam, who belongs to former Telecome minister A Raja’s party DMK, and in the Upper House by his ministerial colleague Namo Narayan Meena.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India report indicted Raja on 2G spectrum for causing a loss more than Rs. 1.76 lakh crore to the exchequer.

Raja quit office on Sunday succumbing to the pressure of the Congress party after the Opposition blamed the UPA Government, headed by Manmohan Singh.

The Telecom Ministry had claimed that new licenses and 2G Spectrum was distributed as per the existing policy which were followed by all the predecessors of Raja.