New Delhi, Aug 14 : Some kind of unthinkable has happened. At least this is how a few BJP leaders have reacted. The Defence Ministry under Narendra Modi government has requested the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) sub-committee to "delete" controversial paragraphs related to Bofors Howitzer Gun deal. The official response of the Defence Ministry in a 13 July letter has said as the files related to Bofors cannot be traced, the eight paras related to objections raised by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India and subsequently by the PAC sub-committee on non-compliance of the CAG report be "deleted". According to sources, this is not the first time the Defence Ministry has given such response. In fact, the defence ministry's response has left members of the PAC sub-committee "stunned". "These responses may not have political endorsement. Possibly BJP MPs would be meeting Defence Minister Arun Jaitley to find how these responses from the ministry came to the PAC panel," a source told . In January 1, 2016 letter earlier - the Defence Ministry had told the PAC sub-committee headed by Biju Janata Dal MP Bhartruhari Mahtab -- that papers related to Bofors gun purchase were "not available with any division". It had also mentioned that directorate general administration in Defence Ministry has agreed to "delete" the paragraphs. Similarly, in May 5, 2017 communique the Ministry informed the panel that "it is not possible to initiate Action Taken Reports" vis-a-vis the CAG reports -- otherwise pending since 1990. The six-member sub committee headed by Biju Janata Dal member Bhartruhari Mahtab and comprising among others Gajanan Chandrakant Kirtikar (Shiv Sena), Nishikant Dubey (BJP), P Venugopal (AIZADMK), Ajay Sancheti (BJP) and Shivkumar Chanabasappa Udasi (BJP) has however rejected the Defence Ministry's request and given them time till third week of August to trace the files and get back to the panel. The Committee also feels that only PAC can consider "deleting" any paras after due consideration and preferrably by consensus.UNI
Post A Comment:
0 comments so far,add yours