JPC on 2G scam could be a broad-based committee

New Delhi, Feb 20 (PTI) The government will make effortsto make the planned Joint Parliamentary Committee on the 2Gscam broad-based to accommodate as many parties as possible.

According to Government sources today, the effort is tomake the JPC a "broad-based committee" with its strengthlikely to be between 21 and 30.

Sources said if the JPC has 30 MPs then it wouldcomprise 20 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the RajyaSabha. If the Committee is set up with 21 members, then 14will be from the Lower House and 7 from the House of Elders,they said.

If the size of the JPC is kept small, there could berepresentation for only seven to nine major parties. Congress,BJP, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, BSP, JD-U and DMKcould get the membership in view of their numbers. There are atotal of 37 parties in Parliament.

In such a scenario, the AIADMK, which has been in theforefront of the demand for a JPC, is unlikely to get a placedue to lack of required strength in Parliament and it will bea similar fate for NCP, National Conference and Muslim League,despite being members of the ruling UPA

Deputy leader of BJP in Lok Sabha Gopinath Munde, asalso other opposition party members, have suggested that JPCshould have more than 30 members to provide representation forsmaller parties.

There is also talks that a Union Minister could be askedto head the committee but there is no confirmation onthis matter as yet.

B Shankaranand had resigned as Cabinet Minister in theRajiv Gandhi government to head the JPC on Bofors scandal.

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