"We have made 60 percent of the payments," Lalli told reporters, in response to allegations that he overruled suggestions of withholding payments to SIS Live till it was investigated.
He said that there was no controversy over the matter. "Firstly, whatever payment was made, it was done according to a schedule, which was approved. It went through the proper approval at the ministry level,” said Lalli.
On the issue of service tax, Lalli asserted that it was the job of the service tax department to intervene in the matter, not that of the Prasar Bharati. "But the company should have given the service tax on time and I had even told them this," he said.
Lalli also denied that there was any change in any clause of the contract with SIS Live after it was finalised.Lalli had earlier also denied any impropriety in payments to SIS Live.
"Whatever has been done has been done in totally proper correct and valid manner," Lalli told private television channel NDTV last week.
Published 25 October 2010, 11:37 IST