Press Trust Of India / New Delhi Oct 31, 2009, 01:28 IST
Communications Minister A Raja today alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA government had distributed free spectrum to operators in what he called “biggest ever scam” that deprived the exchequer of over Rs 1.6 lakh crore revenue.
Debunking charges that his spectrum allocation policies caused a revenue loss of Rs 60,000 crore, he said not only the then government gave free spectrum, it violated all norms by giving the frequency far in excess of 4.4 MHz to many leading operators and the government did not even get any revenue share.
Raja accused BJP leader Arun Jaitley, who has called for his resignation, of favouring major operators during the NDA rule and also defending one of them in the high court. “Now there is infighting within Arun Jaitley (sic). His legal brain is fighting the political brain. I do not know what will be the outcome. Whether his legal brain will win or the political one,” the minister said.
Asked about demands for his resignation, he replied: “I will not step down. Ours is a government that has followed all rules to the letter and spirit by following the recommendations of Trai (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India).”
According to papers prepared by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) scanning spectrum allocation during the NDA regime, leading mobile operators including Bharti, Vodafone, Idea and Reliance Telecom had emerged as the biggest beneficiaries of the decision taken by the then government.
“The NDA government is responsible for its irrational decision. The availability of spectrum was first put on the coffers without any disclosure. And ultimately, very cleverly and conveniently existing spectrum of 500 MHz was shared with the operators by the then NDA ministry,” Raja said.
The NDA government had decided that spectrum from 8.0 Mhz to 10 Mhz might be alloted without any further increase in revenue share. “...is this to say that the spectrum that was available were its ancestral property?” the minister asked. “Some of the operators are benefitting from it without observing the law,” he said, adding that “they are accusing a minister who is following Trai recommendation after consulting PM.”
The DoT paper alleged that Pramod Mahajan, the communications minister under the NDA regime, had taken a decision in 2001 to allot spectrum to operators beyond 6.2 Mhz without any upfront charge and subscriber base against the recommendations of the Telecom Commission.
Shakepeare has said : "Truth and Murder will be one day out"!So it has come out though belatedly! Yet BJP which assumes the role of a pious puritan and crusader against"corruption" has been exposed!Will BJP leaders explain to the aam aadmi what moral authority they have to question the integrity of PM Manmohan Singh?
thanks mr raja for pointing out irregularities in telcom sector during nda regime
any way these facts were known
now instead of mr raja resigning or nda booked for t offences it commited
T BEST COURSE OF ACTION WOULD BE FOR T GOVT TO RECOVER T AMOUNT LOST BY T NATION FROM T VARIOUS TELCOM COMPANIES WHO BENIFITED BY T ACTION OF CROOKS
LET T COMPANIES RECOVER T BRIBES THEY PAID FOR T ILLGOTTEN GAINS FROM T CROOKS TO WHOM THEY PAID T BRIBES
LET T GOVT NOT TRY TO PROVE ANY OFFENCE AGAINST T CROOKS
LET T CROOKS PUNISH EACH OTHER
IF T GOVT CANT GET T WEALTH LOST THAN IT CAN NATIONALIZE T TELCOM COMPANIES BY AN ACT OF PARLIAMENT THIS WILL UNDO ALL T INJUSTICE DONE TO T NATION OR T COMMON MAN
( ALL LIKE MINDED COMMON MAN CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH ME ON MY EMAIL ID raj444422@hotmail .com)
The statement of Raja appears to be irresponsible and designed for his mere defense against the allegations levelled on him. If there was a scam during the NDA reign, then why was he silent for so long and why he is raising the so called issue only when he is cornered?
It is another point that the same DMK was a partner of the then NDA.
UPA must take action against Raja.
The statement of the Minister of DOT invokes only peals of laughter. If NDA was corrupt,DMK is also part of UPA now. The Minister appears to be a failed lawyer professionally in arguments. If such a corrupt act causing so much of loss by NDA was noticed by him during his occupation of seat for so many years, why he did not burst out and asked for a CBI enquiry earlier. Why Manmohan singh is silent about it? POssibly, he was not informed by the current minister.Earlier corrupt act during NDA regime does not license him now to go corrupt.What about licensing of TV channels during the UPA channels? At least now the minister should come out now with the full information of loss during NDA. The failed lawyer. supported by the numerous officers in the trap of scam, must answer only the charges against him. A bootlegger cannot finger at another bootlegger. There is an invisble drama that is being played by DMK and congress against this failed lawyer.
Posted by: Pavan_Joshi
November 05 , 2009, 18:20 IST
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Failed lawyer ?
He has managed, facilitated ... the LOOT ... of Lakhs of Crores ...
of Public Moneys ... and in the Indian ... DMK .. political context ... hehe ... FAILED LAWYER ?
Question is ... Kickbacks? My back-of-the-envelope math says ... something like Rs 5-7.5 Lakh Cr. license fees got ... hehe ... 'under-invoiced' ... even if 10% ... political kickbacks in Telecom usually higher ... say 25% ... so anywhere between a Lakh to 3.5 Lakh Crore kickback is involved ... we are talking ... hehe ... weapons of mass destruction !!!
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