Chidambaram to head EGoM on telecom spectrum

In a controversial move, the government has appointed home minister P. Chidambaram as head of the empowered group of ministers (EGoM) on telecom spectrum auction, despite allegations of irregularities levelled against him by opposition parties.

The government had to reconstitute the EGoM on spectrum, which was earlier headed by former finance minister Pranab Mukherjee who quit the government on being nominated by the Congress as its presidential candidate.

Agriculture minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, who was then appointed as chairman of the EGoM recused himself within a couple of days for fear of being dragged into controversiesover re issue of spectrum.

But despite several allegations against Chidambaram, the UPA government decided to appoint him chairman of the EGoM on telecom spectrum. Janata Party president Subramaniam Swamy had filed a complaint against Chidambaram in the Supreme Court, urging it to make him a co-accused along with former telecom minister A. Raja in the 2G telecom scam.

However, the apex court asked him to approach the special CBI court probing the scam; but the special court dismissed his plea. Swamy has filed an appeal with the Supreme Court where the matter is pending.

On Saturday, Swamy said the move to appoint Chidambaram as chairman of EGoM reflects ''the moral bankruptcy of the Manmohan Singh government,'' Prashant Bhushan of the Centre for Public Interest Litigation, said the move showed the government's lack of ethical values and sensitivity to conflicts of interest.