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In a clear instance of how the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s orders are openly violated, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry is yet to give permission for a CBI probe against former Doordarshan Director General Aruna Sharma for her alleged involvement in granting CWG broadcast deal to UK based company Sis Live.
Following the Shunglu committee report, the PMO had recommended CBI probe in the scandal which caused `135 crore loss to the public exchequer. But despite the lapse of over three months since the direction from PMO, the Ministry is engaged in a tussle with Prasar Bharati, which has washed its hand off the issue.
The public broadcaster’s refusal to give its opinion for CBI probe is on the ground that it was never consulted by the Ministry while initiating action against the suspended CEO BS Lalli whose matter was referred to CBI in just ten days of the direction received from the Prime Minister’s office on the Shunglu panel report. Prasar Bharti’s officials wonder why their endorsement is needed in case of Sharma, who has been repatriated to her parent cadre of Madhya Pradesh, when they were not consulted in Lalli’s case.
“Surprised” over the request received from the ministry to give its view on the issue of Sharma, the three-member committee of the Prasar Bharati headed by Chairperson Mrinal Pande referred the matter to the board. The board, which met on May 13, has put the ball back in the ministry’s court asking it to deal with the matter as it deemed fit, sources in the Prasar Bharati told The Pioneer.
Not only the request was “abrupt”, but contrary to general practice it has no notes attached with it-neither the Shunglu committee report, which has accused her and Lalli of “collusion” with the UK based firm Sis Live causing the loss to the exchequer, nor an executive summary of it. Sharma’s reply in her defence to the charges leveled and Ministry’s own stand on the high power committee report were also not sent. Besides, the time given to submit the recommendation was also insufficient, they pointed out.
“As it is the board was taken by surprise at the request since all through these deliberations, it was not kept in the loop. Moreover, the Board has no fact finding machinery, so it is not in the position to ascertain the facts of the case. So it was unanimously decided to refer Sharma’ s matter back to the ministry to be decided by itself.”
The Prasar Bharati is already facing shortage of personnel due to vacancy of two part time members, Director Generals of Doordarshan and AIR and its CEO (Lalli) is under suspension. The public broadcaster even had no Chief Vigilance officer or company secretary all these years. So in this scenario it is not possible for it to give its views on such complicated matter, they contended.
Meanwhile, the matter is back to the ministry. “The ministry realises that Sharma cannot be acquitted, but is hesitant in deciding the matter which has resulted in this delay,” a ministry source said.
Earlier, a senior official had justified the delay on the ground that Sharma’s reply to Shunglu committee’s report is voluminous and a detail study of the matter is taking time.
Shunglu committee had pointed out that the actual cost of the CWG broadcast contract awarded to Sis Live was at best about Rs 111 crore, thus resulting in a profit of at least Rs 135 crore it and Zoom Communications. Strongly indicting Lalli and Sharma for this loss to exchequer, it had said, “they cannot be recused from the acts of omission and commission which facilitated this wrong doing.” Taking a “serious view” of these findings, the PMO had asked the ministry to initiate disciplinary action against the two officials and refer the matter to CBI.
Following the Shunglu committee report, the PMO had recommended CBI probe in the scandal which caused `135 crore loss to the public exchequer. But despite the lapse of over three months since the direction from PMO, the Ministry is engaged in a tussle with Prasar Bharati, which has washed its hand off the issue.
The public broadcaster’s refusal to give its opinion for CBI probe is on the ground that it was never consulted by the Ministry while initiating action against the suspended CEO BS Lalli whose matter was referred to CBI in just ten days of the direction received from the Prime Minister’s office on the Shunglu panel report. Prasar Bharti’s officials wonder why their endorsement is needed in case of Sharma, who has been repatriated to her parent cadre of Madhya Pradesh, when they were not consulted in Lalli’s case.
“Surprised” over the request received from the ministry to give its view on the issue of Sharma, the three-member committee of the Prasar Bharati headed by Chairperson Mrinal Pande referred the matter to the board. The board, which met on May 13, has put the ball back in the ministry’s court asking it to deal with the matter as it deemed fit, sources in the Prasar Bharati told The Pioneer.
Not only the request was “abrupt”, but contrary to general practice it has no notes attached with it-neither the Shunglu committee report, which has accused her and Lalli of “collusion” with the UK based firm Sis Live causing the loss to the exchequer, nor an executive summary of it. Sharma’s reply in her defence to the charges leveled and Ministry’s own stand on the high power committee report were also not sent. Besides, the time given to submit the recommendation was also insufficient, they pointed out.
“As it is the board was taken by surprise at the request since all through these deliberations, it was not kept in the loop. Moreover, the Board has no fact finding machinery, so it is not in the position to ascertain the facts of the case. So it was unanimously decided to refer Sharma’ s matter back to the ministry to be decided by itself.”
The Prasar Bharati is already facing shortage of personnel due to vacancy of two part time members, Director Generals of Doordarshan and AIR and its CEO (Lalli) is under suspension. The public broadcaster even had no Chief Vigilance officer or company secretary all these years. So in this scenario it is not possible for it to give its views on such complicated matter, they contended.
Meanwhile, the matter is back to the ministry. “The ministry realises that Sharma cannot be acquitted, but is hesitant in deciding the matter which has resulted in this delay,” a ministry source said.
Earlier, a senior official had justified the delay on the ground that Sharma’s reply to Shunglu committee’s report is voluminous and a detail study of the matter is taking time.
Shunglu committee had pointed out that the actual cost of the CWG broadcast contract awarded to Sis Live was at best about Rs 111 crore, thus resulting in a profit of at least Rs 135 crore it and Zoom Communications. Strongly indicting Lalli and Sharma for this loss to exchequer, it had said, “they cannot be recused from the acts of omission and commission which facilitated this wrong doing.” Taking a “serious view” of these findings, the PMO had asked the ministry to initiate disciplinary action against the two officials and refer the matter to CBI.
