JPC meeting on 2G report postponed

April 25, 2013 12:46 pm | Updated November 17, 2021 01:27 am IST - New Delhi

The scheduled meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee looking into 2G spectrum allocation, to adopt the report on the 2G scam, has been postponed and the panel was likely to meet next week, Committee Chairman P C Chacko said on Thursday.

Earlier, speaking to reporters, Mr Chacko had called on all members of the committee to “adopt the report without voting”.

“I do not want a voting to take place in the committee and I would request the committee to adopt the report without voting. Those who have different opinion can add dissent note,” Mr. Chacko told reporters.

“There is no harm in adopting the report unanimously and I will try for that and if members suggest otherwise, I don’t know what will happen,” he said.

The committee, which is divided over the content of the report, was scheduled to meet at 3 pm on Thursday.

According to sources, there was no precedent of a JPC report being put to vote but allowing dissent notes was a democratic practice. The report had laid the blame for the losses to the public exchequer on account of faulty allocation of spectrum and grant of licences on former telecom minister A. Raja, clearing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P. Chidambaram of any wrongdoing.

“We have done serious work on this infamous scam and today we are ready with the report and I am very happy and with confidence, I can say that I have prepared a fair report document on the basis of document and deposition before the committee,” Mr Chacko said. He said it was up to the committee to take a final call and he was hopeful that members would accept the report.

The JPC is divided over the culpability of Raja, whose note submitted to the panel has stated that everything he did was in consultation with the prime minister. “These are occupational hazards. One need not be sad about that and if they feel that they are not satisfied with report and want a no confidence motion they have the freedom to do that,” Mr Chacko said.

“I am not at all bothered about that (dissent). My job is done faithfully and now committee will take a call on that and I am sure that the parliament and country will appreciate our work,” he said.

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