JPC may be formed: Govt

New Delhi, Feb 19 (PTI) Indicating formation of aJoint Parliamentary Committee to probe the 2G spectrum scam,government today appeared to rule out widening its ambit tocover other scandals.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister P K Bansal gave such ahint at a press conference ahead of the three-month longBudget session beginning Monday. A decision on setting upa JPC would be taken by Wednesday, he said.

After indications emerged that the UPA government mayagree to formation of the JPC to probe the 2G scam, an issuewhich had derailed the entire winter session of Parliament,BJP has been talking of inclusion of the Commonwealth Gamesscandal and the Adarsh Housing scam also in its ambit.

Bansal said that discussions with Opposition on theissue of JPC are "moving forward" and expressed the hope thatthe Budget Session will "run smoothly".

"It is a premature question at the moment. We arestill in the process of discussing with other politicalparties.....A decision will be taken by wednesday,", Bansalsaid when asked whether Government has decided to go in for aJPC.

The demand for widening the ambit of the is unlikelyto be conceded as the rules of Parliamentary procedure do notallow such a clubbing of various issues under an umbrellaresolution.

Bansal sought to reject the demand for a combined JPCinto the 2G scam, Commonwealth Games scandal and AdarshHousing scam.

He said that according to rules of procedure ofParliament, a definite issue needed to be mentioned in themotion and there cannot be a probe on a general issue likecorruption.

To a query on the possibility of Prime Minister beingcalled by the JPC to appear before it, Bansal said that insuch an eventuality, the Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar willhave to decide whether to allow it. "The decision of theSpeaker will be final". (More) PTI MS SPG