Prime minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday announced a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the 2G scam.

Singh made the announcement in his reply to the president's inaugural address of this year's budget session.

He said, "On account of the controversy relating to allocation of 2G spectrum, the winter session of Parliament was lost. Our country can ill-afford this...in paralysing Parliament, we all do disservice to those who have elected us."

The PM also said that the government could not persuade the opposition to stop insisting on the JPC probe.

The announcement comes in the backdrop of the UPA government's desire to avoid a repeat of the winter session washout. The prime minister had on Monday said that the budget session was crucial and that his governmnet would take all steps to ensure that houses' proceedings were not disrupted.

The opposition has welcomed the decision of the government. However, Left parties said that there was no need to congratulate the government as it was just doing its job.

No business was conducted by both the houses of parliament in the winter session last year, as the JPC impasse forced adjournments on a daily basis.