Did Joshi influence CAG report and inflate 2G losses?

New Delhi: At the time CAG was examining 2G spectrum allocation last year, an official of the government auditor had purportedly received a phone call from Chairman of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee Murli Manohar Joshi who wanted the work to be expedited as he feared that “Executive” would go for a “cover up”.

This is indicated in a letter written by senior CAG official R B Singh to Deputy CAG Rekha Gupta on July 13, 2010 which surfaced today. In the letter, the CAG’s DG(Report Central) had said Joshi had called him to say that “there was tremendous pressure on him from Parliamentarians, media etc about the examination being done by the Public Accounts Committee in respect of ‘recent development in Telecom sector, including allocation of 2G and 3G spectrum and that if the probe is further delayed, the Executive would get the time to cover up the issue.”

Sinha further wrote, “He (Joshi) further stated that in view of the tremendous interest, heightened anxieties and pressure from all concerned including media, it would be appropriate for the PAC also to submit its report soon after the CAG’s report is submitted to the President during the Monsoon Session (of Parliament).”

Joshi said that it would be appropriate that his (Sinha’s) office briefed him and the Committee in “two and three days after the next meeting of the PAC scheduled to be held on 15th/16th July, 2010”, Sinha wrote.

“I informed him that the matter will need to be taken up with the C&AG of India,” the official wrote. When asked about the development, Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai rejected any attempt to influence the auditor’s work. “(There is) no question of Joshi trying to influence CAG report,” he told reporters.

In view of the development, Congress leader Digvijay Singh questioned whether estimates of the losses incurred in the 2G spectrum allocations were inflated “at the behest of Chairman PAC”. “With new facts coming in, few questions arise. Was the figure inflated? Was it made in haste?? Was it at behest of Chairman PAC?,” Digvijay Singh said on Twitter. “Is it a fact that the Chairman PAC contacted CAG regarding 2G before submission of CAG report? It was denied by the CAG but now documents prove he did,” he said.

The Congress leader also questioned whether the CAG had an agenda like former CAG T N Chaturvedi. “Does CAG have an agenda? Does he want to follow the footsteps of TN Chaturvedi (e)X CAG, of Bofors Report, BJP MP and Governor?” Digvijay Singh said.

PTI