Govt appears willing to form JPC

Amid hints that the government could agree to a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the 2G telecom scam, the Union Cabinet may discuss the issue tomorrow when it meets to consider the President’s Address to Parliament on the opening day of the Budget Session on February 21.

The Cabinet is meeting primarily to approve the Address to the joint sitting of Parliament, in which government comes out with its policies for the year and views on various topical issues.

During the meeting, the Cabinet is also likely to take a view on the JPC issue that has been the cause for a stand-off between the government and the opposition and led to a washout of the entire Winter Session of Parliament.

The government has so far resisted setting up JPC but is now understood to be ready to announce it but not before a discussion is held in Parliament over the issue of corruption.

The issue is understood to have been discussed on Monday at the Congress Core Group meeting, chaired by party president Sonia Gandhi.

After the meeting, the Congress gave indications that it might not be averse to a JPC to probe the 2G scam if the opposition is ready for a prior debate and agree to modalities for such an inquiry.

“Democratic institutions must be allowed to function... What modus operandi ...It is for the Government and the opposition to work it out,” party spokesman Manish Tewari told reporters. He said the Congress has been consistently demanding a debate in Parliament on the issue.

“Opposition should not run away from a debate. The demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe should not become a subterfuge to run away from debate. Debate on the floor of the House is a fair, legitimate and just demand,” he said.