2G scam: Why was Finance Ministry note not submitted before, asks JPC

Opposition members in Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) today termed as a "serious lapse" non-submission of a Finance Ministry note on the 2G spectrum issue before the committee and demanded that the finance secretary be called before it to give clarifications.

As the JPC on the 2G issue met in Delhi, CPI(M) member Sitaram Yechury raised the issue of the Finance Ministry note that suggested that the then Finance Minister P Chidambaram could have insisted on auction of the radiowaves.

Yechury said the note in question was not among the documents submitted by the Finance Ministry to the JPC.

He is understood to have contended that if the non-submission of the 2G note was a deliberate act, it amounted to breach of privilege and if it was a lapse, it was a serious one.

BJP member SS Ahluwalia demanded that the finance secretary be summoned today itself to provide clarification on the issue.

JPC Chairman PC Chacko expressed difficulty in asking the finance secretary to appear before the committee at such a short notice but it cut no ice with the members.

They insisted that a senior ministry official be asked to appear before the committee for explanation.

The JPC had met to record evidence of former Telecom Secretary Nripendra Mishra.