The central government on Sunday set up an independent committee to look into the allegations made by Paul Volcker against External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh in his report on irregularities in the Oil-for-Food programme during the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq in 2001.

The independent committee will be headed by Virendra Dayal, a former diplomat.

• Complete Coverage: The Volcker Report

Dayal, also a former under secretary general of the United Nations, will have a tenure of three months during which he would have the full support of the government of India, Sanjay Baru, media advisor to the prime minister told reporters outside 7, Race Course Road.

During his tenure, Dayal will also act as the special envoy of the government of India and hence liaise with the united Nations and its member countries to go into the depth of the allegations made by Volcker.

The appointment of Dayal, also a former Chef de Cabinet, was in continuation of the earlier statements made by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] on the Volcker report regarding getting to the root of the matter establishing the truth or otherwise of the unverified references made in that.

The "other steps", sources indicated, could be a domestic probe which could be judicial in nature.

The Bharatiya Janata Party said it was disappointed with the government decision.

External Link: Know more about Mr Dayal