Singh, who is Deputy Chairman of the Bihar Planning Commission, talks in detail about the "spectacular decline of Kamal Nath". "He is on the road... literally on the road... well you can always hide it by saying highways are after all one black point of the government and they want to make up for it. But I think there is much more than meets the eye... In Kamal Nath's case enough is enough... and I do not think right now he needs another ATM. He has one going on for many years and that is enough for him," Singh is heard saying.
In another tape posted on the Outlook's site, Singh tells Radia, "Every time any question comes up in any house of Parliament, he is more busy trying to appease that questioner to see if he can stay out... perhaps Mukesh has swung it for him... the continuity in the petroleum ministry... Murli is an incompetent minister. He may be a good man. So hopefully there is a chance for Jitendra Prasad to do something."

Contacted for a comment, Singh told The Indian Express, "I categorically deny that it was in any way my intention to have cast any aspersions either on his (Deora's) competence or ability as an important minister of the Union Cabinet. There is also no question of Mr Murli Deora's incompetence in Parliament or elsewhere. There is no question of Mr Ambani or anyone else seeking to secure a Cabinet Berth for Mr Murli Deora."
Deora declined to comment. Singh is also heard expressing surprise at Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma's "spectacular jump". He says, "I know he was close to 10 Janpath but in the meantime he had done a lot to cultivate PM personally, hanging around PMO, Nair's room and PM."
Radia is heard telling Singh that Praful Patel has "destroyed the (aviation) sector. I am sorry I do have a view about it. I do not think he has done justice with the sector."
To this, Singh replies, "He has worked as a minister for Naresh Goyal".
Radia says, "Yes, yes, and now Vijay Mallya at the cost of the national carrier."
Singh told The Indian Express that "the bits of the conversation are selective and blown out of context. They form part of a more general conversation of an analytical nature on the Cabinet well after it was formed."

In another conversation with Niira Radia posted Outlook website, the former chief mentor of the Confederation of Indian Industry, Tarun Das, says he pitched "big time" for Kamal Nath for the surface transport portfolio.
"Highway construction and road construction is a big priority. He (Kamal Nath) is a doer, he can make his 15 per cent in this. You can do national service and also make money...," says Das in the tapes.
Radia allegedly responds: "This is still an ATM (automated teller machine)."
The conversation, a part of the tapes capturing Radia's role in the allocation of 2G spectrum, which allegedly took place during May 2009 when the Cabinet was being formed by the UPA government, reveals the hectic lobbying for ministerial berths.
Surprised over Nath's appointment as the surface transport minister, Radia said it could be a signal that he had "gone a bit overboard".
Das agreed but pointed out that Nath's predecessor T R Baalu had stalled road construction during his tenure.

When contacted by The Indian Express, Tarun Das said he perceives Nath as a "doer" who has an ability to get things done.
"In exchanging ideas with people about a wish list of responsibilities, I did talk about 'surface transport' for him. When I used 'big time', I mean forceful," he said, adding that his remark about '15 per cent' was irresponsible and unfortunate.
"My public apologies to Mr Nath," he said. Das, who has worked for 45 years with the CII and is consulted by the government on policy matters, purportedly talks to Radia about Anand Sharma's induction as commerce and industry minister. "I know him reasonably well, but not too well. We'll have to brief him...educate him. He's new to this industry area," he said.
In an earlier conversation, he allegedly speaks to Radia about A Raja's chances of getting telecom portfolio again. "Too many people are against him," he said, to which Radia responded, "That's only the Sunil Mittals. I've promised that Raja will speak to Mittal and deal with the matter." Das then agreed to talk it over.
Source: The Indian Express