Joshi clarified that the CAG was not summoned by the PAC

NEW DELHI: Murli Manohar Joshi, Public Accounts Committee Chairman and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader, after meeting Vinod Rai over the 2G spectrum scam report, said that the committee can even look at reports in the telecom sector pre-2004.

Joshi while addressing the media in New Delhi on Monday said, “Our agenda is only 2G but if required we can go back and look into previous reports. We are working according to rule of PAC and we cannot discuss the policy decision of the government.”

Joshi also said that the parliamentary committee was not limited just to CAG report but can look at telecom policy even during the NDA years.

He added that the PAC would decide if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is required to depose before the PAC or not and added that parliamentary convention states that Speaker’s permission would be needed before taking calling the Prime Minister.

“CAG was not summoned to the PAC. Today we had a meeting with him. He came to help us and go through the report as it is a very technical report. Members wanted to know how he reached the figure of loss. Why report starts from 2003?” he added.

He clarified that the CAG was not summoned by the PAC. “Under PAC rule no minister can be called unless the Speaker asks him or her,” he said.

(News Editor- Naushin Fatima Khan)