Tale of 2 bureaucrats gives peek into telecom ministry

At their first appearance before the public accounts committee (PAC) of Parliament, two top bureaucrats — key figures in the 2G spectrum scam — made divergent depositions.

Pradip Baijal, the former Chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), defended almost every decision of the government and went on to describe the achievements of the ministry and Trai in the cellular revolution in India.

He gave the PAC a PowerPoint presentation to drive home his case.

Siddharth Behura, the former telecom secretary, flatly told the PAC that he has nothing to do with the scam, as he did not take a single decision. The minister (A Raja) took all the decisions, Behura told the PAC.

He said that his only contribution in the entire 2G issue was a suggestion to add one paragraph in the press note related to the cut-off date for 2G licences. That, too, was turned down by the minister, Behura informed the PAC.

The former telecom secretary added that he had told the Prime Minister’s Office the same things when it asked him about the 2G issues.

Many of the members, however, feel that Behura’s stand that he had no role defies accountability because as the telecom secretary, he is supposed to look after the affairs of the ministry effectively.

The PAC will hold its next meeting on the 2G issue probably in the third week of December and decided to call the comptroller & auditor general to depose and explain various aspects of its report on the 2G scam.

In today’s meeting — the fifth on this issue — Baijal even explained how the policies of subsequent governments resulted in a reduction in call charges from as high as Rs 32 (when mobile telephony was launched in India) to less than Rs 1 now.

The two former bureaucrats, however, did not face questions from PAC members. One of them later told Business Standard that it was a conscious decision not to cross-examine them immediately. PAC Chairman Murali Manohar Joshi told the two bureaucrats they might be summoned again for cross-examination after the members go through their depositions.