2G licences caused Rs 22,000-cr loss: CBI

The CBI has alleged that the grant of ‘Unified Access Service Licences’ for 2G spectrum to some private companies caused a loss of over Rs 22,000 crore to the government.

“...The officials concerned of DoT in criminal conspiracy with private persons or companies by abusing their official position, granted Unified Access Service Licences to a few selected companies at nominal rate ...thereby causing wrongful loss to the Government of India and a corresponding wrongful gain to private persons or companies estimated to be more than Rs 22,000 crore,” said an FIR filed by CBI under the Prevention of Corruption Act and IPC on October 21.

CBI alleged this was done “in criminal conspiracy between certain officials of DoT and private persons or companies in order to award the licences to the companies for a heavy consideration by putting a cap on the number of applicants against recommendations of Trai and by awarding licences to private persons or companies on first-come-first-serve basis on the rates of 2001 without any competitive bidding.”

The ministry had come under attack for doling out spectrum very cheap compared to its actual market value.

CBI said “a large number of applications, including those from competent and established telecom operators, were received during the short period of September 26, 2007, to October 1, 2007”.

“These licences were issued at a very nominal rate based on prices fixed in 2001. The quantum of loss to the Government of India because of this criminal conspiracy is estimated from the fact Ms Swan was allotted UAS licences for 13 circles for Rs 1,537 crore.”

“The estimated loss to the government by grant of licences to these two companies alone come to Rs 7,105 crore. On pro-rata basis, the estimated loss to all 122 circles is more than Rs 22,000 crore,” the FIR said.

The anti-corruption watchdog, CVC, had recommended a CBI probe into the procedures followed for selecting companies for giving 2G spectrum.