2G case: JPC decides to call RP Singh to appear before it again

JPC on 2G telecom spectrum is set to debate afresh the Rs 1.76 lakh crore presumptive loss figure of CAG as the panel on Wednesday decided to summon a former lead auditor on his charge that he was forced to sign the controversial report on the spectrum allocation scam.

"I agreed to call R P Singh...he would be asked to appear before JPC," panel chief P C Chacko said here. He said Singh would be called after December 19.

He is being summoned for the second time after BJP members had recently demanded calling of the former Director General Audit (Post and Telecommunication) in CAG.

"Yashwant Sinha (BJP) was of the view that the statements of Singh before the media recently and his deposition before the Joint Parliamentary Committee are contradictory and that some of the points he raised before the media were not told to the Committee," Chacko said.

Chacko said he himself and some other members were of the opinion that there was not much of contradiction. But "It is necessary to call as opinions differ," he said.

He said that during today's meeting, he proposed circulating the verbatim records of Singh's deposition on November 14, 2011 before the Committee could take a decision.

But he decided to accept BJP's demand to save time.

But according to a BJP member of the committee, the decision to summon Singh for a second time was not without drama. He claimed Congress members were initially opposed to calling the former CAG official saying JPC should instead concentrate on fresh witnesses.

"Both Sinha and Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI) argued that since there were contradictions in his stand, he should be called...Sinha even threatened to move the Privileges Committee (of Lok Sabha) against Singh for giving contradictory statements and not disclosing all the points to JPC," a member said after the meeting.