New Delhi: Home Minister P Chidambaram is
said to be "indignant" about the carping observations made
against him in the draft report of the PAC on 2G spectrum
scam.
Sources close to the minister said if he had to be
criticised then he should have been called by the PAC or at
least issued a questionnaire but not criticised ex-parte.
The draft report circulated by PAC Chairman Murli Manohar
Joshi has attacked the then Finance Minister Chidambaram for
recommending to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to "treat the
matter as closed" instead of taking action against those
responsible for loss to the exchequer in the allocation of
spectrum.
Sources said the minister wanted to know when, where and
to whom he had made such a plea.
Chidambaram had only referred to spectrum entry fee and
not about spectrum charges, the sources said adding Joshi does
not know the difference between the entry fee, spectrum usage
charges and revenue share at license fee.
While the allegation was on entry fee of Rs 1650 crore,
Chidambaram's note of January 1, 2008 was on spectrum usage
charges, especially for additional spectrum over and above
start-up spectrum.
The sources feel the draft report was "pre-written" since
it mentioned that Attorney General, Cabinet Secretary,
Prinicpal Secretary to PM and CBI Director deposed before the
PAC on April 15-16.
They said Joshi "discovered" what CAG and Justice Shivraj
Patil did not.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, April 27, 2011, 22:08