"We are extremely pained at the methodology adopted"
The government on Friday described as “utterly erroneous and without any basis” the estimated loss of Rs. 1.76 lakh crore arrived at by the Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG) on account of allocation of 2G spectrum to telecom operators.
“We are extremely pained at the methodology adopted by the CAG for arriving at the [allocation loss] figures that have no basis,” Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal told journalists here. The “presumptive losses” had embarrassed the government and the nation, he said, and this “resulted in a kind of sensationalism, which has allowed the Opposition to spread utter falsehood among the people.”
‘No loss to exchequer'
The exercise undertaken by the CAG on presumptive losses arising from the sale of 2G spectrum was fraught with serious errors, Mr Sibal said, adding that there was actually no loss to the exchequer. “The CAG has done injustice to itself and the Opposition is doing injustice to the aam aadmi,” he said.
There were no comments from the CAG as the report is now the property of Parliament and under the consideration of the Public Accounts Committee.
The report said the “presumptive” loss caused to the exchequer through spectrum allocation to 122 licensees and 35 dual technology licences in 2007-08 was Rs. 1,76,645 crore. It arrived at the figure on the basis of the 3G auction held earlier this year in which the government mopped up over Rs. 67,000 crore.
Pointing out that the revenue losses were actually “nil,” Mr. Sibal praised the National Telecom Policy of 1999, but said there were some “procedural irregularities” and the CBI probe would look into these and criminal culpability.
Keywords: 2G spectrum scam, A. Raja, CBI probe
Politics has influenced every section of society. You can clearly see from the letters that all people who oppose Cong. will write in favor of CAG and all those who support Cong. will agree with Mr. Sibal. What frightens me is if the Judges, CAG, CVC and other top influential posts are held by people who had lineage to any of the parties in their college days, will definitely have a biased ruling, report making etc. So, How does one ensure the people of India get a fair trial? As I know the law colleges of the country is where politics is very high in the campuses. So how do you know the Chief justices are doing the job properly? Should anyone having political allegiance at some time in their lives allowed to hold these posts? The CAG, CVC, Chief Judges and other important posts should be manned by people who should reveal all their lineages to any political party and the media should bring the details of political life’s of these people to the public's knowledge.
Sibal's statement appears to be designed to influence the investigation into the 2G Scam (which the CBI is itself reluctantly pursuing) and it is good that the SC has advised the CBI to ignore the statement made by him.
It is totally expected move by the Central Government to save themselves from the embarrassment. They made the right move by appointing a well talented person, like Kapil Sibal to cover up the whole issue under the wraps... Hats off to the Government...
Mr.Sibal seems to be a one man Public Accounts Committee. The report of the CAG is submitted to parliament and not to the government and therefore a minister rubbishing a CAG report publically in a press conferance before parliament responds to it seems to be highly irregular. The UPA government is in such an awkward situation in regard to the 2G spectrum scam that its ministers and the spokespersons of the Congress are making ill-thought out statements which show them in very poor light indeed. Such statements do not also serve their cause.
I used to think highly of Mr. Kapil Sibhal as a man of integrity. Alas, another disappointment.
The new Telecom minister is an efficient advocate.He knows how to twist the common people by saying like this'C A G estimate of 2G loss utterly erroneous'. Through his advocacy he would be able create a dead hen into live one.
The minister is out of his mind. He says that 2G allotment rates were justified and they inturn would benefit the aam aadmi. It is totally rubbish. Leave alone gold and silver, if the minister is so intelligent by disputing the CAG findings, let him make available to the general public food items, petrol, diesel kerosene,and land at prices of that year,then we we can accept his contention that there is no loss to the exchequer. Mantriji do you want to the fool the public all the time by arguing as a lawyer turned politician?
Absolute nonsense. The dubious infra-structure Companies with no experience in telecom, and which have taken 2G licenses have been able to off-load it to international Players and have earned thousands of crores. Spectrum is a scarce resource and should have been priced according to the prevailing conditions and demand, rather than follow a Policy that would have been appropriate at that point of time , to promote and make the sector grow. Kapil Sibal's attempt to hoodwink the people of this country will never succeed. The loss to the exchequer is real and Dr.Singh will do well to acknowledge this and show the door to KS who has little knowledge of the Technical implications and value of resources , but who can only shout at the top of his voice and dish out absolute nonsense.
If this is the considered opinion of the Government ,Let Manmohan re-instate Raja and hand over telecom portfolio to him . The people will decide when they get a chnace.
With his legal background, Sibal is the right hatchet man for the party in its glorious Operation Cover-up. Are we Indians man enough to see through and counter this subtle smear campaign against an honest CAG with guts - a rare gem in India today?
Assuming that CAG is utterly erroneous in its estimations, so there are very high chances that it has been erroneous when saying that some projects are fraud free. Well irrespective all the rhetoric by the politicians(opposition and the party in power), everyone knows how much corruption has become a part of the Indian society. I only hope that it does not go to level where it becomes a national characteristic of India - to give or take bribe. We have almost reached a stage where if a work could be done in a government without a bribe it would raise the eye brows.
Wow, no losses at all ! The Great Indian Robbery case heading towards a closure without really getting the truth.
For anyone harboring illusions about Sibal's integrity this should be an eye-opener! Would love to hear his explanation/spin on selling 2007-08 spectrum at 2001 rates!
Yes, Mr. Sibal. You and your government think that the citizens of this country are absolutely idiots. Which is why, your law minister acknowledges 26/11 as a small incident; your agricultural minister doesn't bother that staple diet of a billion people has changed because the government is sitting ducks, leaving grain in open but cares less to feed it to the hungry; you are more interested solving a very few terror attacks which are suspected to have majority groups involved, but what progress have you made in the so many terror cases in which minorities or foreign nationals are involved? And now, CAG report looks rubbish to you.
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