2G JPC term extended till monsoon session

The Lok Sabha Monday extended till the monsoon session the time for submission of the report of the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) looking into 2G spectrum allocation.

The resolution in this regard, moved by panel chief P.C. Chacko at 3 p.m. when the house reconvened after an adjournment, was passed by voice vote.

The decision was arrived at after he held consultations over the issue with the members, including of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said sources.

The panel was expected to submit its report in the budget session that ends May 10.

But that was not possible as the draft report, which has blamed former telecom minister A. Raja but cleared Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P. Chidambaram of any wrongdoing in the allocation of spectrum, has divided the panel.

The JPC meeting April 25 to finalise the draft report was postponed due to the death of Trinamool Congress MP Ambica Banerjee. A fresh date for the meeting is yet to be decided.

The same day, as many as 15 opposition members, including former UPA allies DMK and Trinamool Congress, wrote separate letters to the speaker that they had "no confidence" in Chacko as the panel chief and he should be removed.

In a counter attack, six Congress members also wrote to the speaker seeking the removal of the BJP members - Yashwant Sinha, Jaswant Singh and Ravi Shankar Prasad - from the panel. They cited conflict of interest as all three were either ministers or part of group of ministers on telecom during the NDA rule from 1998-2004.

Last week, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar rejected both the demands and urged the warring JPC members to sink their differences and adopt the report.