New Delhi — The congress in particular and the government in general are in a very tight spot over the Volcker Committee report. The government is not able to find the answers to the allegations put up by the Volcker Commiitte.
In order to counter this situation, PM Manmohan Singh has appointed Virendra Dayal, former under-secretary general to the United Nations as a special envoy to liaison with the UN on the Volcker Committee report.
Virendra Dayal, a former UN Under Secretary-General and a former member of the National Human Rights Commission, will liaise with the UN and its member states to gather relevant materials including those on the unverified references in the report regarding the “involvement of Indian entitities and individuals”, a press release issued by Prime Minister’s media adviser Sanjaya Baru said.
The announcement comes amidst growing opposition demand for a CBI inquiry into the Paul Volcker Committee report that named Natwar Singh and Congress as non-contractual beneficiaries in the pay offs made in the corruption-ridden oil for food programme during the Saddam Hussein regime in 2001.
The Opposition has also been gunning for Natwar Singh’s resignation and dismissal and a criminal case.
70-year-old Dayal, a former Chef de Cabinet of the UN Secretary General Pervez de Cullar, will be granted full power and authority of the Indian Government to execute the responsibilities entrusted to him. His appointment will be for an initial term of three months on until the completion of his task, whichever is earlier, the statement said.
[inline:1]”The Government is contemplating other steps as well which will be announced shortly,” it said.
The “other steps”, sources said, could include appointment of a judicial probe which may be announced on Monday.