'No inquiry on leakage of Pathak Authority Report'

New Delhi, Aug 10: Backing out from its earlier assurance, the Government today ruled out any probe into the leakage of the Pathak Authority's Report.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi told newspersons that there was no need to inquire into the leakage of the report after the Opposition's demand for a Privilege Motion on the matter had been rejected in the Rajya Sabha.

When reminded that the Government had assured that it would probe the leak of the report to the media before it was tabled in Parliament, Mr Dasmunsi said that he had promised a probe but after that within a few hours several members, including former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh, had given privilege notices against Prime MInister Manmohan Singh which Rajya Sabha Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat had rejected today. "When there is no privilege issue, why there should be an inquiry," he said.

Rejecting the privilege notices, the Rajya Sabha Chairman however observed that the leakage of the report to the media before it was laid in the House was a serious matter and it needed to be probed.

When the Parliamentary Affairs Minister was reminded further that similar Privilege Notice was still pending with Lok sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, he noted that generally if a matter is resolved in one House, the other House follows it.

UNI

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