New Delhi: Comptroller and Auditor General
(CAG) Vinod Rai on Wednesday described as "baseless" reports that he
was ready to face impeachment proceedings in Parliament over
the report on the 2G spectrum allocation issue.
"I find the report to be totally baseless," Rai said in a
communication to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman
M M Joshi.
He was reacting to media reports which had said that Rai,
on the sidelines of a PAC meeting, had dared the Congress to
impeach him in Parliament.
"I write to confirm that I have neither met nor discussed
with any Member of Parliament before or after the PAC
meeting...You are yourself aware of deliberations. I am
bringing this on record to you for action as you deem
appropriate", he said in his letter to Joshi.
CAG, it was also pointed out, was not upset with the
proceedings of the PAC meeting on the 2G spectrum allocation
case.
According to the reports, at the last PAC meeting,
Congress members of the PAC, led by Sanjay Nirupam, wanted Rai
to go out of the meeting arguing that former director general
of audit (post and telecommunications) R S Singh would not be
able to tell his side of the story in presence of the CAG.
Singh is reported to have differences with Rai over the
2G spectrum allocation report which had pegged the losses to
the exchequer at Rs 1.76 lakh crore on account of faulty
policies of the government.
In the constitutional scheme of things, an incumbent CAG
can only be removed by impeachment in Parliament.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, November 02, 2011, 18:43