2G: Was the magnitude overstated at 1.76 lakh cr?

New Delhi: The magnitude of the 2G scam which got defined by the CAG's assertion of a presumptive loss of Rs 1,76,000 crore is now under threat.

Documents accessed by network 18 show that the CAG overruled its own auditor's figure of 2,600 crores, hiking the estimated loss from 2G spectrum sale.

The documents suggest that Director General Audit RP Singh calculated the issue of Unified Access Licences and allotment of spectrum caused a loss of Rs 2645 crores. While the CAG headquarters on its own hiked the loss to Rs 1,76,000 crore. And that difference of opinion had cropped up between Deputy CAG Rekha Gupta and Singh during report finalisation.

Manish Tewari, Congress representative on the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), has quickly seized the issue. Besides raising it at the JPC, he has now sought all records of CAG's 2G audit process.

CAG Vinod Rai, his deputy Rekha Gupta and lead auditor R P Singh have now been summoned before the panel. Publically, the Congress quickly cashed in on this fresh twist.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, "We can not and have never accepted the fantastic figure of 1.96 crore."

The documents also suggest there were differences between CAG headquarters and their audit wing on other matters too.

The auditor in his report stated the sale of equity did not violate the UASL norms and that it was difficult to establish the link between value of Unified Access Service Licence and their net worth.

Sensing dilution of their attack, the Opposition was quick to react with the BJP stressing any loss to exchequer was a crime and the Left questioning the very reason for this new twist.

BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman, said, "What gets tabled in the parliamentis the final CAG report. To get into details id not the debate."