PM announces JPC to probe 2G scam

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday announced setting up of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe the 2G spectrum allocation, and hoped for a peaceful and productive budget session of Parliament that began on Monday.

?On account of the controversy relating to the allocation of 2G spectrum, the precious Winter Session of Parliament was lost. Our country can ill-afford a situation where Parliament is paralyzed and important legislative business is not allowed to be considered. In paralyzing Parliament, I believe, we all do disservice to those who have elected us,? said the PM in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Singh said: ?Our Government is committed to root out corruption and has acted expeditiously and transparently in this direction. A CBI investigation into the allocation of 2G spectrum is being supervised by the Supreme Court. Also, the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament is seized of the matter and the Government is fully cooperating with it.

?We also have the report of the Independent Inquiry Committee set up under the Chairmanship of Justice Shivraj Patil, which is in the public domain. The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has also acted with expedition.?

The Prime Minister said the UPA government failed to convince the Opposition not to insist on a JPC.

?Our Government believed that as all effective steps were being taken, we might have been able to persuade the Opposition not to insist on a JPC. We could not succeed inspite of our sincere efforts. We can ill-afford a situation where Parliament is not allowed to function during the crucial Budget Session.?

?It is in these special circumstances that our Government agrees to the setting up of a Joint Parliamentary Committee,? said Singh.

?We are a functioning democracy and must strive to resolve our differences in a spirit of accommodation and collaboration not confrontation. This, I hope, will renew our confidence in India’s forward march.

?I am, therefore, requesting the Honourable Speaker to proceed with the formation of a Joint Parliamentary Committee. A formal motion in this regard will be moved soon,? he said.

The Congerss-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government on Sunday agreed to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the 2G spectrum scam, ending months of uncertainly over the demand by the Opposition that saw the Parliament deadlocked in the winter session.

The consensus was arrived at an all party meeting convened by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar here in which the government acceded to the demand of the opposition.

The 2G spectrum allocation scam saw many political and corporate heads rolling as the government’s auditor, the CAG, pegged the losses of the allocation of the licences at Rs 1.76 lakh crore.

Former Telecom Minister A Raja, who is from the DMK party, had to resign over the scam and he is now in jail after a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) nailed him.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Bansal said the JPC is likely to have 30 members- 20 from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha.

Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned sine die on Dec 13 last year as the Winter Session of the Parliament concluded without any substantial business being transacted as the Opposition stalled proceedings for 22 successive working days over a demand for JPC probe into the 2G Spectrum scam, while the government refused to oblige.

A CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) report had held former Telecom Minister A Raja ?personally responsible? for costing the national exchequer a loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore through ?illogical? sale of 2G telecom spectrum in 2008.