New Delhi, May 1 (IANS) Senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi, who had courted controversy for his draft report on the 2G spectrum issue, was Sunday re-appointed as chairperson of parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for one more year, an official in the Lok Sabha Speaker’s office said.
Joshi’s one-year-term ended Saturday.
The name of Joshi, 77, Lok Sabha member from Varanasi, was recommended by the Bharatiya Janata Party. Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar re-appointed him as the PAC chief, the official said.
Joshi’s draft report on the allocation of 2G spectrum indicted former communications minister A. Raja and indirectly criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh among others for mishandling the spectrum allocation, causing thousands of crores of losses to the national exchequer.
On Friday, Joshi’s report was blocked by 11 of the 21 members of the PAC belonging to the United Progressive Alliance constituents and supporting parties.
Joshi sent the report to the Speaker Saturday and alleged that the prime minister was remaining a ‘mute spectator’ to the events.
The PAC conducts audits of reports on various ministries and departments, which are basically prepared by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
