New Delhi, November 10
The Union Cabinet today approved the setting up of an “Inquiry Authority” to be headed by former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Mr Justice R.S. Pathak, to probe the Paul Volcker Committee report which named the Congress party and former External Affairs minister K Natwar Singh as non-contractual beneficiaries in the UN’s Oil for Food programme in Iraq.

The R.S. Pathak Inquiry Authority will have statutory powers. It will complete its probe and submit the report to the government in six months, union Finance minister P Chidambaram told mediapersons here. Any extension of time, if necessary, will be decided by the government.

The terms of reference of the Inquiry Authority are being worked out and will be notified tomorrow.

Stressing that the Commission of Inquiry Act provides for having an Authority, the Justice R S Pathak Inquiry Authority will seek to establish the truth or otherwise of the univerified references contained in Volcker report pertaining to payment of surcharge or kickbacks to the then Saddam Hussein government in Iraq for allocation of quotas of oil.

Mr Chidambaram rejected suggestions that there has been a delay in setting up the probe. “There has been no delay whatsoever. Justice Pathak sent his concurrence on November 7 following which the Prime Minister issued the orders and directions the next day. Exactly a day after the directives, the matter came before the Cabinet.”

The minister refused to go into the details about the terms of reference observing “you will know when you read the Terms of Reference. Statutory powers as desired will be conferred upon the Justice R.S. Pathak Inquiry Authority.”

About the tenure of the Inquiry Authority, Mr Chidambaram said the learned judge agreed with six months time. “We are going by the advice of the union Law ministry and the learned Judge.”

Asked about the action by the Enforcement Directorate in pursuance of the Volcker Committee report, the Finance Minister acknowledged that the agency was questioning certain individuals like Andleep Sehgal and Vikas Dhar.

Quizzed if Union Minister without portfolio Natwar Singh’s son Jagat Singh will also be questioned by the ED, the minister said “I am not the Enforcement Director. As far as I know, only two persons are being questioned and you know their names.”