DoT's inaction causes Rs 1,649-cr loss: Audit report

Dept it failed to raise demands based on reserve price on nine licencees who continued operations after 15 Feb 2012

A report by the director general (DG)of audit, post and telecommunications, has noted the government had lost Rs 1,648.91 crore due to the inaction of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), as it failed to raise demands based on reserve price on nine licencees who continued operations after February 15, 2012.

The DG stated the DoT did not raise demands on licencees — Unitech Wireless, Loop telecom, Videocon Telecommunications, Sistema Shyam teleservices, Etisalat, Idea Cellular, STel, Spice Communications and Tata Teleservices — who continued operations, despite the Supreme Court ruling they should pay the reserve price fixed by the government in November 2012. This has led to non-realisation of the money from these firms. The report added DoT also did not either cancel the licences or withdraw the spectrum these companies hold for their cancelled licences.