Chacko rejects demand to postpone Sep 27 JPC meet on 2G

JPC chairman P C Chacko today rejected DMK member T R Baalu's demand to postpone the crucial September 27 meeting of the panel to adopt the controversial draft report on 2G spectrum allocation which had indicted former Telecom Minister A Raja, saying postponements can not be an unending process.
Baalu had asked Chacko to convene the meeting after October 1, keeping in mind his convenience. He said just as today's meet was postponed to September 27 after requests by some members, Chacko should extend the same courtesy to him.
"I have written to Baalu informing him that the meeting stands on September 27," Chacko told PTI.

He said the panel has not met after the draft report was circulated to the members in April.
"The committee had authorised me to prepare a draft report. The penal has not met for the past several months since the draft was circulated. Postponements can not be an unending process," he said.
The meeting is set to be stormy as it has to adopt the controversial draft report which gave a clean chit to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram, but had indicted former Telecom Minister A Raja for the scam.

Joining the opposition parties, NCP, a UPA ally, has now demanded calling Raja as a witness saying it was only fair to listen to the person who has been accused in the scam.

Battle lines have been drawn for the meeting as BJP and Left members are all set to oppose the draft report by either giving strong notes of dissent or demanding a vote.
The JPC has 20 members from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha. It has 12 members of the ruling UPA - Congress (11) and NCP (1). Among its outside allies, SP has one member and BSP two.
Opposition camp has BJP (6), BJD (1), TMC (1), CPI (1), CPI-M (1), DMK (1) and AIADMK (1). JD(U), which recently split with BJP, has two members and the party's stand will be crucial. Besides, there is one Nominated member from Rajya Sabha.