DoT to decide on VSNL surplus land in 2 weeks

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will take a call on the issue of VSNL’s (now Tata Communications) surplus land in next one to two weeks.

“The internal committee of DoT will take a decision in one to two weeks' time,” DoT Secretary R Chandrasekhar said.

Communications and IT Minister Kapil Sibal had ordered constitution of a high-level committee to look into the issue of disinvestment of Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL).

VSNL was acquired by a subsidiary of Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata group, in 2002 when it was privatised by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government with Arun Shourie as the disinvestment minister at that time.

However, Tatas have maintained the company has not gained anything from the surplus VSNL land and it made several attempts since 2005 for the demerger of surplus land but there has been no response from the telecom ministry. In another development, DoT will also decide on cancellation of licences, given by earlier minister A Raja in 2008, in next one month.

“We have received replies from all 85 licence holders who were issued show-cause notices. We are legally examining them and should be able to take a decision on it in a month's time,” Chandrasekhar said.