Did Not Use Office to Enrich Myself: Former PM Manmohan Singh

New Delhi:  Accused by former aides and colleagues of permissiveness towards corruption in his government, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said, “I have not used my public office to enrich myself, my family members or my friends.”

Dr Singh’s assertion comes the day after Pradeep Baijal, the former head of the country’s telecom regulator, said that Dr Singh asked him not to obstruct policies that were being implemented to allow a massive scam in the allocation of mobile network licenses in 2009.

Mr Baijal told NDTV yesterday that Dr Singh knew the ground for the swindle was being laid by former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran. When Mr Baijal, head of TRAI, the telecom regulator, allegedly red-flagged Mr Maran’s first-come-first-serve policy for licenses as a disaster waiting to happen, the PM allegedly replied, “Why are you not cooperating with the minister?”

Years later, the first-come-first-serve rules would be heavily twisted to cost the country Rs 1.76 lakh crore, according to the national auditor. The “2G scam”, named for second-generation airwaves involved, has led to Mr Maran’s successor, former Telecom Minister A Raja, being charged with criminal conspiracy and corruption. Several top executives from India’s best-known telecoms are being tried along with Mr Raja.

Mr Baijal’s accusations of the PM’s refusal to prevent his ministers from indulging in graft comes after similar claims by his former aide and media advisor Sanjaya Baru and former Coal Secretary PC Parakh.

After the 2G scam, Dr Singh’s government was battered by “Coal-Gate” which saw private firms colluding with government officers for severely underpriced mining rights. Dr Singh has been questioned about a coal field given during a time when he held direct charge of the Coal Ministry to a company owned by industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla. Mr Birla and Dr Singh have denied any wrongdoing.