Denying that there was a security breach at the Prime Minister’s residence due to the installation of a booster antenna at the Race Course Air Force station, Air Chief Marshal F H Major said permission for the same was granted by the Ministry of Communication. Reacting to the latest Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report that asked for a probe into the issue, he said the antennae was located a good distance away from the PM’s residence. “A small booster antenna was installed so that people in the area could use their mobile phones. The Ministry of Communication had cleared the site. There is nothing much to it,” the IAF Chief said, responding to media queries at the sidelines of a function here. The Ministry of Defence had earlier sought an explanation from the IAF about the alleged breach of security and had asked it to “fix accountability” for the lapse. The CAG report had said the antenna set up by Reliance Infocomm in 2004 was cleared by the Air Officer Commanding without the permission of the Ministry, despite the area falling under a high security zone. It had also questioned the financial propriety of the deal as the company had provided free mobile phones to 22 officers as a “goodwill gesture” in return of installing the antenna.
