HC rejects PIL against Centre's policy decision to deploy 2G tech in two N-E states

The Delhi High Court today dismissed a PIL seeking quashing of the Centre's decision to deploy 2G technology in Arunachal Pradesh and two districts of Assam, saying it was a "policy matter".

The PIL had questioned the decision to purchase "outdated" technology at a "huge" cost and alleged it was done to benefit two companies.

"It is a policy matter of the government as to where to have 2G and 4G. The government is in a better position to decide. If the people of those two states are aggrieved, they can challenge it," a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice C Hari Shankar said and dismissed the plea by NGO Telecom Watchdog.

The petition alleged that the decision was discriminatory, without application of mind and contradictory to the central government's policy of Digital India.

Appearing for the NGO, advocate Pranav Sachdeva argued that huge amount of public money was being wasted by the deployment of outdated technology.

The plea sought quashing of a January 16, 2018 agreement between the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), alleging that "outdated 2G technology is sought to be purchased at huge cost of Rs 2,258 crore from two private companies under mysterious circumstances".

The NGO has claimed that the agreement was entered into despite the fact that the DoT's Telecom Commission had in December last year decided to procure 2G-cum-4G spectrum for all future projects