I&B sits on CVC order to probe graft charge

The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) had asked the I&B Ministry last year to inquire into a specific allegation of corruption and submit a report to it "immediately". More than one-and-half years later, the ministry has neither conducted an inquiry nor submitted any report to the CVC.

The CVC order of February 28, 2011 had come on a complaint from BJP MP from Gujarat Ramsinh Patalyabhai Rathwa who had alleged that the Prasar Bharati had undersold advertisement slots during last year's cricket World Cup to benefit a private telecast company. Rathwa, in his complaint to the CVC on February 14 last year, had alleged that the tournament which could have easily brought in Rs 100 crore in advertisement revenue was deliberately sold for a mere Rs 30 crore, and blamed "Doordarshan officials" of defrauding public exchequer.

Rathwa specifically named Rajiv Takru, the then acting CEO of Prasar Bharati, and Aruna Sharma, the then Director General of Doordarshan, in his complaint and alleged that they had refused to follow earlier directions of CVC on how to allocate advertisement slots. Takru, who is the government's nominee on the board of Prasar Bharati which is an autonomous body, is an Additional Secretary in the I&B Ministry, while Aruna Sharma has since gone back to Madhya Pradesh, her parent cadre. Rathwa had drew a parallel to the CVC indictment of former Prasar Bharati CEO B S Lalli for similar "offences".

The CVC had found the complaint worthy of an investigation and asked the I&B Ministry to carry out an inquiry. "The allegations mentioned in the complaint are specific and verifiable and may have a vigilance angle," the CVC letter to the ministry said.

"...the Commission hereby directs that an investigation be conducted on the charges of corruption/irregularities pointed out in the enclosed complaint. The report of this inquiry should be submitted to the Commission immediately," it said.

... contd.

ALSO READ

Railway bribery case: Nephew rose from obscurity, worked behind the scenes

For AMU students, wearing sherwani no issue

Polls today, Cong pins hope on BSY

CBI raids top armyman for graft in ration procurement