2G scam: Sibal moves motion for JPC in Rajya Sabha

NEW DELHI - Union Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal moved a motion in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday for setting up of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) into 2G spectrum allocation.

There will be 30 members in the committee including 20 from Lok Sabha and ten from the Rajya Sabha.

Sibal said that the JPC will look into all the aspects of the scam.

H further said that there was nothing with the Telecom policy, but the implementation was faulty.

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, had on February 22 announced the constitution of 30 members JPC.

The decision to have 30 members was taken after senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders conveyed to the government that smaller parties also want representation in the panel, the formation of which was promised by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday.

During the Winter Session, the government’s no to a JPC inquiry into the 2G scam led to a complete paralysis of Parliament with less than ten hours of business being conducted.

Former Telecom Minister A Raja, his personal secretary RK Chandolia, former telecom secretary Siddharth Behuria and managing director of DB Realty Shahid Balwa have been so far arrested in 2G scam over their alleged roles

Raja was forced to resign from the Union Cabinet last year after the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) faulted him for undervaluing spectrum to favour companies who were largely ineligible for 2G spectrum, and added that the government had probably lost Rs.1.76 lakh crore in estimated revenue. (ANI)