The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament would be non-committal on the Comptroller and Auditor General?s estimate of R1,76,000 crore presumptive losses from the 2G scam, but would unequivocally state that the nexus between corporates, politicians and the bureaucracy is what facilitated the massive corruption.
Sources privy to the matter told FE that in its draft report to be discussed and probably finalised by the committee on April 28, the PAC would also spare any direct indictment of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
While the draft report was yet to be circulated to members of the PAC, the sources said the CAG?s figure was ?one of many? which had been discussed by the committee as being the quantum of loss to the exchequer. ?What is important is the fact that spectrum was sold at 2001 prices, while the sale was effected in 2008,? said a source in the committee.
?Let us be clear that there were several formulae being proposed to calculate the loss to the exchequer and one of these put the loss at R1,76,000 crore. We will include all the formulae and scientific testimony backing the claims in our report,? said the source.
The delay in circulating the draft of the report was mainly because the members belonging to the Congress party blocked proceedings on technical grounds. There were also differences over the two paragraphs in the report which will deal with the Prime Minister. Sources confirm that Cabinet secretary KM Chandrashekhar?s written response to the PAC?s questionnaire repeated much of what the PMO?s affidavit to the Supreme Court stated on this issue; that is, the Prime Minister had been informed at various stages about spectrum allocation.
?The Prime Minister wrote several letters to the telecom minister, but the fact remains that beyond a point, there was no system in place to check the anomalies. We are also cognisant of the fact that the Prime Minister offered to come and depose before the PAC,? said the source. ?However, persons holding high office are also responsible for introducing checks and balances in the system and the question remains why it wasn?t done,? he said.
A large part of the report, say sources privy to the drafting, will deal with the PAC?s expanded mandate on the matter. In fact, the last three meetings of the panel had been marred by a turf war between the Congress MPs in it and chairman Murli Manohar Joshi on whether it was within the panel?s rights to go into larger policy matters rather than just assessing the CAG report.
?The mandate of the PAC is to look beyond the formality of the expenditure to its wisdom, faithfulness and economy,? the draft is likely to say. Corporate India, which came in for much criticism by the PAC will not be spared in the report either.
?However, the point to be emphasised is that without a nexus between them, politicians and bureaucrats, this could not have been done. Therefore, all three will come in for much stricture, especially the executive,? said the source.
The PAC will hold its next meeting on Thursday, April 28, where apart from two other reports dealing with other departments, this draft report will be discussed.
Sources told FE that Joshi is likely to finalise the report, even if Congress members protest.
The two balance-tippers in the scenario would be Reoti Raman Singh of the Samajwadi Party and Bali Ram of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). A lot will depend on the stand taken by these two legislators.