I was made to sign on 2G audit report: former CAG official

Former CAG official R P Singh, who has created a storm with his statements on the 2G spectrum allocation audit, today claimed that his superiors gave him "written order" following which he signed on the final report giving a presumptive loss figure of Rs 1.76 lakh crore.

Singh, who headed the CAG team that audited the 2G spectrum allocation, maintained that he had never put the figure of Rs 1.76 lakh crore in his draft report.
"They (senior CAG officials) told me that this is the final report and asked me through a written order to sign on it. So I followed the instruction and I signed the report," Singh told PTI.

He claimed "there was no opportunity to show one's difference of opinion."
"I am their field office. I prepared the report. Why I removed those figures I explained. I gave them the reasons for the removal and thereafter submitted it to the higher authorities. This is their report and their responsibility. They again put those loss figures. What can I do in this?"

To a question whether he had differed on the figures quoted in the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)'s final report, he said it was not a question of difference.

"I had removed these figures from my report. Why I removed these figures from my report I had explained. But they did not agree to my explanations and they incorporated those figures in the final report.

"And they told me that this is the final report and asked me through a written order to sign on it. So I followed the instruction and I signed the report," Singh said.

Singh had in his draft report given a figure of Rs 2,645 crore as loss on account of 2G spectrum sale in 2008.

Asked why he decided to speak now on the issue, Singh said "2G auction has just closed and price has been found through market discovery and the figure that has been found is very less. The CAG report had cited much higher loss.

"Some reporters had asked about low price discovery. I said whatever figure is in the report that is presumptive loss and this is the actual price discovery."

He said the CAG had already said that the presumptive loss figure was debatable, disputable and questionable and "this is not actual loss".

"This is actual discovery through market forces. So obviously there is a difference and this is what I told journalists," Singh said.

The CAG report tabled in Parliament in 2010 had created a political storm. The controversy over spectrum allocation also led to cancellation to 122 licences by the Supreme Court in February this year.

Saying that PAC Chairman Murli Manohar Joshi never asked him any question, Singh said, "Nobody asked me any question on the presumptive loss thing. It was a CAG report. After finalisation of report I was directed to sign on it".