1st-come, 1st-serve policy followed to allocate spectrum: CBI

CBI today argued before a special court that first-come-first-served (FCFS) policy was followed by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in allocating spectrum licences to eligible applicant firms during 2003-07.
CBI's arguments assumes significance as it has alleged in its charge sheet that during his tenure as telecom minister, A Raja had changed this policy in 2008 to favour "ineligible" firms Unitech Wireless (Tamil Nadu) Ltd and Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd.
Advancing final arguments in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case in which Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and 15 others are facing trial, special public prosecutor Anand Grover said that FCFS was the policy of the government and it was an established procedure adopted by the authorities.

"From 2003 to 2007, a number of licences were issued on the (basis of) FCFS policy....In FCFS policy, application received first was to be processed first (by DoT) positively or negatively," Grover told Special CBI Judge O P Saini.
"Before the time the issue arises in the present case (2G spectrum case), FCFS was the policy which was practised. FCFS was the policy of the government," he said.
Grover's arguments remained inconclusive and would continue tomorrow.
CBI had earlier alleged that Raja had "misled" then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on policy matters pertaining to 2G spectrum allocation in conspiracy with others to favour certain firms.

In its charge sheet, CBI had alleged that there was a loss of Rs 30,984 crore to the exchequer in allocation of 122 licences for 2G spectrum, which was scrapped by the Supreme Court on February 2, 2012.