President Pratibha Patil has given her assent for a Supreme Court inquiry into charges of financial mismanagement against Prasar Bharti Chief Executive Officer (CEO) B.S. Lalli , official sources said on Thursday.

              Sources said Patil's assent came on a reference made by the government. It would set in motion the process for removal of Lalli, who can be placed under suspension pending an inquiry. Lalli, who is a 1971 batch Indian Administrative Service officer, was indicted by the Central Vigilance Commission for breach of parliamentary privilege, showing favours to some broadcast companies, and committing financial mismanagement.

              Reacting to news of President giving assent for an inquiry by the Supreme Court into charges of administrative and financial irregularities against him, he said the intrigue and mischief was "abetted and encouraged by powerful elements from outside" aimed at "demonising an individual".Singh, against whom the process of removal has been set in motion by the government, expressed the hope that the inquiry gets finalised quickly so that the "true picture" is known to the public at large.

           In a press release, Singh said while on the one hand he was sad that he has to face this situation after nearly 40 years of "unblemished" service in the IAS, on the other he derived comfort from the fact that he would finally be heard." At long last, due focus would be given to facts rather than conjectures, half-truths and plain lies," he said. Maintaining that he would not like to go into details of charges against him as the entire subject would be scrutinised by the highest court of the land, he said it would suffice to refer to the four allegations against him.

Here is the statement that Mr. B.S.Lalli issued in this regard:

I am given to understand that a reference has been made to the honourable Supreme Court in terms of section 7 of the Prasar Bharati act. This is in context of the CVC report on some alleged administrative and financial irregularities in the working of Prasar Bharati.


I would only state that a lot of intrigue and mischief have been going on within the organization which has unfortunately been abetted and encouraged by powerful elements from outside aimed at not only the demonising of an individual but also the derailment of a premier democratic institution.

Available record clearly and unequivocally shed light on the transparency, good faith and sound commercial judgement in respect of all these matters. Judicial scrutiny I am sure will also show that fallacious interpretations of relevant provisions of law and rules was made to arrive at certain conclusions and that presumption and prejudice held the field while the facts on record were not even acknowledged.

I hope that the enquiry by the Honourable Supreme Court gets finalised quickly so that the true picture is known to the public at large.

(BS Lalli Press release)


 

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