Can't record minutes of all meetings with ministers: FM

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today sought to clear the air over non-recording of minutes of a meeting between his predecessor P Chidambaram and former Telecom Minister A Raja in regard to 2G spectrum allocation saying it is not possible to record minutes of all the meetings between ministers and there was no need for it.

"I am seeing in the newspapers and in the media that meeting between Mr Chidambaram and Mr Raja ...minutes were not recorded... Every day some minister come and it is not possible to keep their record of the meeting or the minutes of the meeting because there is no need", he told reporters.

As Finance Minister, he said, one is required to meet ministers on almost daily basis.

Mukherjee said this while responding to the reports that Department of Economic Affairs in the Finance Ministry did not have minutes of meetings between jailed former telecom minister Raja and then finance minister Chidambaram on May 29, 2008 relating to consultations with regard to pricing issue.

The issue came up during a presentation by the DEA to the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which is probing the 2G spectrum allocation scam.

The DEA officials were grilled by the JPC members.