IPL issue could be fifth probe by JPC

It could be a real comedown for NCP chief Sharad Pawar if a decision is taken to set up a Joint Parliamentary Committee into the IPL controversy. This is because the last probe by a JPC was headed by Pawar himself.

It could be a real comedown for NCP chief Sharad Pawar if a decision is taken to set up a Joint Parliamentary Committee into the IPL controversy.

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This is because the last probe by a JPC was headed by Pawar himself.

This time, however, a JPC probe is being demanded in the backdrop of demands of resignation of Pawar and his party colleague Praful Patel as Union Ministers.

Pawar was a former Cricket control board chief during whose tenure the IPL tournament began with Lalit Modi as its Commissioner.

The JPC headed by Pawar was the fourth and the last probe committee set up by Parliament on August 22, 2003. That time the MP was a veteran on the opposition benches and the NDA was in power.

It was formed to probe allegations of pesticide residues in soft drinks, fruit juice and other beverages and the safety standards concerned. Public also sought action against the companies involved in manufacture of these beverages. It held 17 sittings and presented its report on February 4, 2004.

It is constituted on a motion moved by a Minister or the Leader of the House. Such Committees are set up on the basis of a consensus arrived at between the government and the opposition and consists of members of both the Houses. However, the ruling party or the coalition has a majority in the JPC and the chairman invariably a prominent member of the ruling party.

Speaking about the instrument of JPC, former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said the instrument was "good" as a fact-finding body as all the parties get the information for forming an impression or removing an impression about a certain issue.

At the same time, he regretted it has "not been productive" for the purpose of implementation as it is "always in the hands of others".

He said that Parliament will be playing its "due role" if it sees that there was "proper implementation" of the JPC recommendations.

If a JPC is set up in the IPL issue it would be the fifth such probe committee constituted since Independence into alleged scams and scandals, with the first one being set up into the Bofors issue in 1987, which was headed by B Shankaranand. The Committee held 50 sittings in all and presented a report on April 26, 1988.