Kapil Sibal disputes figure of Rs 1.76 lakh crore

New Delhi, Jan 7 (ANI): Union Communications and Information Technology Minister Kapil Sibal on Friday challenged the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)'s report on the 2G spectrum scam, saying the figure of Rs. 1.76 lakh crore is utterly erroneous.

"Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) figure of Rs. 1.76 lakh crore is utterly erroneous. The losses were much lower and that over Rs. 100 crore had been recovered after the government sent out notices," he told reporters at a press conference here.

Kapil Sibal, however, said he respected the CAG, but was extremely pained at the methodology adopted by CAG for arriving at 2G spectrum (loss) figures that have no basis.

The Minister said he agreed with the CAG on two counts - one, that there was something wrong with the rollout of the telecom policy and two, that there was criminal culpability and which is why the CBI, under the Supreme Court, was investigating the matter. urther slamming the Opposition for disrupting the Parliamentary proceedings during the entire session of Parliament, Sibal said: The Opposition won't speak to us and so we are speaking to people directly through the media."

The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with other opposition parties had stalled the entire winter session of the Parliament, demanding for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe into the scam.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India in a report held former Union Minister of Communications and Information Technology A. Raja responsible for causing losses estimated at a whopping rupees 1.76 trillion to the exchequer in 2G telecom spectrum allotments to favoured operators without any auction bids. (ANI)