Title: Request to probe the deal on the telecast rights of I.C.C. tournament held in Dhaka with Doordarshan.
DR. (SHRIMATI) C. SUGUNA KUMARI (PEDDAPALLI): Hon. Speaker, Sir, I would like to raise a matter of national importance regarding defrauding Doordarshan by millions of dollars.
I draw your attention to the murky deal on the telecast rights of the ICC knock-out tournament held in Dhaka wherein Doordarshan was put to a loss of $ 4 millions.
I demand that the report submitted by Shri Arun Agarwal to the Prasar Bharati Board on the working of the Sports Consortium should be studied and action taken. The International Cricket Council President, Shri Jagmohan Dalmiya and the WorldTelâs Mark Mascarenhas were instrumental to scale down the original agreement and thus the country was put to a loss of $ 4 millions.
Probably this is the tip of an iceberg. I request the Government, through you, to order a thorough investigation and that all the culprits be booked and necessary checks and balances should be fixed to avoid such a flagrant recurrence.