Cong for probe into excess payment for Scorpene deal by NDA

New Delhi, Mar 21 (UNI) The Congress today said the Government should find out why the previous NDA Government had offered to pay Rs 313 crores more to the French firm for the Scorpene submarine project which the UPA Government later got reduced after a re-examination.

''NDA convener George Fernandes, Opposition leader L K Advani and former foreign minister Jaswant Singh owe an explaination to the country as to why they were offering to pay to the French company Rs 313 crores more than was necessary,'' Congress Spokesman Rajiv Shukla said talking to mediapersons here.

''We will request the Government to look into it,'' Mr Shukla said adding the deal could be cancelled.

Mr Shukla said the deal with the French firm had already been struck by the NDA by the time the UPA government came to power. The UPA Government re-examined the project and got the cost of the project reduced, thereby saving Rs 313 crores to the national exchequer. There was no middleman from the Government side in the deal, he clarified.

Asked about the role of middleman Abhishek Verma, son of a former Congress MP, in the deal, he said he had nothing to do with the Congress.

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