New Delhi: A parliamentary committee studying the telecom scam had to cancel an important session today after there was total chaos among its members.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) witnessed a sharp divide between members of the Congress and opposition parties over when to question RP Singh, who was among the main auditors to review the allocation of spectrum and licenses in 2008.
Mr Singh, who served as Director General of Audit (Post and Telecommunications), had come prepared to attend the meeting and make a presentation, was not called in today.
Mr Singh estimated that the telecom scam, allegedly masterminded by former minister A Raja, cost the government 6000 crores. However, the Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai said in November last year that the country had lost 1.76 lakh crores, causing a massive political commotion which began with Mr Raja's resignation and has since forced several influential executives into jail. Senior DMK leader M Kanimozhi, whose father M Karunanidhi is the chief of the party, has also been imprisoned.
At today's session, Prakash Javadekar of the BJP demanded that in addition to Mr Singh, the committee should summon others like Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal, who had said the allotment of mobile network licenses and spectrum in 2008 did not cause the government any losses.
AIADMK member M Thambidurai insisted that the CBI director should also be called as the agency has said in court that the value of the telecom scam is 30,000 crores.
Congress members argued that Mr Singh cannot be asked to depose in the presence of Mr Rai and his team, who attend every session of the Public Accounts Committee.
Opposition members, however, said that since Mr Singh has retired, he is unlikely to face any pressure from Mr Rai and other former colleagues.
With no consensus in sight, the Chairperson of the committee, Murli Manohar Joshi, adjourned the meeting on the ground that the legal and Constitutional aspects related to the issues raised by the members today will be looked into and then brought up for discussion at a later meeting.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) witnessed a sharp divide between members of the Congress and opposition parties over when to question RP Singh, who was among the main auditors to review the allocation of spectrum and licenses in 2008.
Mr Singh, who served as Director General of Audit (Post and Telecommunications), had come prepared to attend the meeting and make a presentation, was not called in today.
Mr Singh estimated that the telecom scam, allegedly masterminded by former minister A Raja, cost the government 6000 crores. However, the Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai said in November last year that the country had lost 1.76 lakh crores, causing a massive political commotion which began with Mr Raja's resignation and has since forced several influential executives into jail. Senior DMK leader M Kanimozhi, whose father M Karunanidhi is the chief of the party, has also been imprisoned.
At today's session, Prakash Javadekar of the BJP demanded that in addition to Mr Singh, the committee should summon others like Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal, who had said the allotment of mobile network licenses and spectrum in 2008 did not cause the government any losses.
AIADMK member M Thambidurai insisted that the CBI director should also be called as the agency has said in court that the value of the telecom scam is 30,000 crores.
Congress members argued that Mr Singh cannot be asked to depose in the presence of Mr Rai and his team, who attend every session of the Public Accounts Committee.
Opposition members, however, said that since Mr Singh has retired, he is unlikely to face any pressure from Mr Rai and other former colleagues.
With no consensus in sight, the Chairperson of the committee, Murli Manohar Joshi, adjourned the meeting on the ground that the legal and Constitutional aspects related to the issues raised by the members today will be looked into and then brought up for discussion at a later meeting.
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