2g timeline

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Posted: Wed, Apr 27 2011 . 1:15 AM IST

Timeline: 2G scamGovernment auditor says telecom departmentignored advice of PM, finance ministry

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In what could potentially be a political setback for the Congress-led UnitedProgressive Alliance (UPA), t he Supreme Court ticked off Prime MinisterManmohan Singh for his inaction on corruption allegations against formertelecom minister A Raja.

The apex court was referring to the letter to the PM from Janata Party leaderSubramanian Swamy where he sought sanction to have Raja indicted overcorruption charges; the PM responded after 16 months without taking a stand.

Comptroller and auditor general has criticised former telecom minister A Raja forfavouring industrial houses, and said he allotted the spectrum by ignoring theprime minister’s advice and incurred a loss of Rs1.76 trillion.

2G spectrum allocation, the CAG reports says

• lacked transparency

• was arbitrary, unfair and inequitable

• flouted every canon of finanacial propriety, rules and procedures

************************

The following is a chronology of how the 2G scam began and the journey so far

26 April 2011 | The CBI is likely to approach the Supreme Court to extend the31 May deadline to file the third chargesheet in the 2G spectrum scam. Readstory

• The Delhi high court said on Tuesday it will resume on 29 April a hearing forbail applications of five business executives charged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a multi-billion dollar 2G spectrum scam case. Read story

25 April 2011 | The scandal-scarred United Progressive Alliance (UPA)suffered a fresh setback on Monday, after twin blows by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the federal investigating agency. Read story

24 April 2011| The CBI, in its second chargesheet likely to be filed tomorrow,may name Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi’s daughter Kanimozhi, wifeDayalu Ammal and several others for allegedly getting benefits out of theallocation of 2G spectrum to certain telecom firms. Read Story

23 April 2011 | Former telecom minister A. Raja and two corporate honchos,who have been chargesheeted in the 2G Spectrum allocation scam case, onSaturday complained to a Delhi court that documents supplied to them by the

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CBI were incomplete. Read St ory

21 April 2011 | Delhi High Court on Thursday deferred a hearing on bail pleasof five business executives charged in one of India’s biggest corruptionscandals that has undermined t he government and business sentiment in Asia’sthird-largest economy. Read St ory

• The impasse over the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report on allegedirregularities in second-generation (2G) spectrum allocation continued as the

ruling Congress party stuck to its position that the matter should be probed bythe Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) formed to investigate the issue. ReadStory

20 April 2011 | A court on Wednesday rejected bail applications of fivebusiness executives involved in one of India’s biggest corruption scandals,pushing forward a case that has undermined the government and businesssentiment in Asia’s t hird largest economy. Read St ory

15 April 2011 | A court on Friday reserved till 20 April its order on the bail pleaof five corporate executives, accused in the 2G spectrum scam, after CBIargued that they be sent to jail as the fear of witnesses being won over orinfluenced is there. Read Story

• The Public Accounts Committee’s (PAC) probe into second-generation (2G)spectrum allocation irregularities hit a new hurdle on Friday with members onthe panel from the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) challenging thefunctioning of the panel as a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) is conductingan enquiry into the same issue. Read St ory

• Despite failing 14 eligibility conditions, Swan Telecom was given a secondchance following the personal intervention of former telecom minister A. Raja, ascrutiny of the documents of the department of telecommunications (DoT) and

the charge sheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) shows.Read St ory

13 April 2011 | Five corporate honchos, who have been named in the chargesheet in the 2G spectrum case, on Wednesday moved bail pleas in a Delhi courtwhich asked the CBI to file its replies. Read Story

• A court on Wednesday put on trial the first set of officials and businessmenindicted in the country’s biggest corruption case, a multi-billion dollar telecomscandal that has weakened the government and put off some foreign investors.Read St ory

11 April 2011 | The Supreme Court on Monday directed the government toappoint senior advocate U. U. Lalit as special public prosecutor for the trial of 2G spectrum case involving former telecom minister A. Raja and others. ReadStory

• In what could lead to a redrawing of the Indian telecom sector in threeyears, minister for communications and information technology Kapil Sibal saidon Monday that an operator would have to apply 30 months in advance of theexpiry of its licence for renewal. The renewed licence will only be valid for 10years, half the lifespan of existing ones. Read Story

• The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate





(ED) may send a joint team to Cyprus and Mauritius to follow the money traillinking those allegedly involved in wrongdoing in the allocation of second-generation (2G) t elecom spectrum. Read St ory

3 April 2011 | The stage is set for the start of a criminal trial that will bringcrony capitalism under scrutiny after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)filed its first chargesheet over alleged wrongdoing in the allotment of second-generation (2G) telecom licences, implicating one of India’s most high-profilebusiness groups, its second biggest real estate company and a prominentpolitician among others. Read St ory

1 April 2011 | Senior advocate Uday U. Lalitwill be the special publicprosecutor in the second-generation (2G) spectrum case, Central Bureau of Investigat ion (CBI) counsel K.K. Venugopaltold the Supreme Court on Friday.Read St ory

29 March 2011 | The CBI on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court thattelecom companies - Swan Telecom and Loop Telecom - were used as frontcompanies by established t elecom players to get 2G spec trum illegally duringthe tenure of former telecom minister A Raja. Read St ory

• Ratan Tata and Anil Ambani will appear before a parliamentary committee thatis probing a multi-billion-dollar telecom licencing scandal, their companies saidin separate stat ements. Read St ory

28 March 2011 | DB Realty, which is embroiled in the 2G spectrum probe, onMonday said its director Sundaram Rajagopal has stepped down, making himthe fourth board member to quit since February. Read St ory

• Parliament’s public accounts committee (PAC) has summoned corporatelobbyist Niira Radia and Tata group chairperson Ratan Tata on 4 April to discusstheir role in the 2G spectrum allocation case. Read St ory

25 March 2011 | A Delhi court on Friday transferred the private complaint of Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy in the 2G spectrum case to the specialcourt constituted by the Supreme Court to deal with all cases related t o thescam. Read St ory

23 March 2011 | The CBI will examine officials of Loop Telecom, under thescanner in the 2G spectrum allocation scam, about their meeting with theIndian high commissioner to Mauritius during which they had sought details of Letters Rogatory sent by t he agency in connection with its probe. Read St ory

22 March 2011 | The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) may name former

telecom minister A. Raja, Kalaignar TV managing director Sharad Kumar, formermanaging director of DB Realty LtdShahid Balwa and other arrested accused inits f irst chargesheet in the second-generation (2G) spec trum allocat ion case tobe filed before a special court on 31 March. Read St ory

• Quick Edit | Completing the deck

17 March 2011 | The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its order onpetitions seeking cancellation of 122 licences of telecom operators whoallegedly benefited in the 2G spectrum allocation scam during the tenure of former telecom Minister A. Raja. Read Story





• The death of former telecom minister A Raja’s key aide Sadiq Batcha was dueto asphyxia and his body showed compression of the neck with hanging mark, adoctor who conducted the post- mortem said on Thursday. Read St ory

16 March 2011 | The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the government toclarify if its first-come-first-served policy for spectrum allocation was evolvedby Trai or the department of telecommunication following conflicting versions.Read St ory

• Chennai-based realtor Sadhick Batcha, a close aide of jailed former telecomminister A Raja, was declared dead after he was found hanged at his home onWednesday, police said. There was no immediate clarity on whether the deathwas a suicide. Read Story

• The probe into the 2G scam led CBI to the doors of country’s top law officerAttorney General G E Vahanvati and RBI Governor D Subbarao whosestat ements were recorded by the agency in connection with t he multi-c rorespectrum allocation. Read St ory

11 March 2011 | Widening its probe into the 2G scam, the CBI on Fridayquestioned DMK chief M Karunanidhi’s daughter Kanimozhi and his wife DayaluAmmal on alleged transfer of money from Mumbai-based Cineyug to KalaignarTV, in which both jointly own 80% stake. Read St ory

10 March 2011 | The joint parliamentary committee (JPC), constituted toprobe the 2G spectrum scam, will have its first meeting on 24 March. ReadStory

7 March 2011 | DB Realty on Monday said that it has accepted the resignationof its managing director and director of the company Shahid Balwa with effectfrom 9 February 2011. Read St ory

4 March 2011 | The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will start fixing thecriminal culpability of telecom companies being probed for their involvement inthe second-generation (2G) telecom spectrum allocation scandal within twoweeks, and include this in the draft chargesheet to be filed before the SupremeCourt (SC), two senior officials at the investigative agency said. Read St ory

1 March 2011 | Jailed former telecom minister A Raja’s plea to participate inthe proceedings in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case against him throughvideo- conferencing was on Tuesday allowed by a Delhi court. Read St ory

28 February 2011 | Every which way you look at it, this year’s Union budgetis very important. Consumers, who rarely count midway through a government’s

term, are looking for relief from inflation and governance failures; similarly, thegrowing legion of impatient youth (50% of India is less than 35 years of age)needs jobs. Indian industry, despite its newly acquired chutzpah, will not sayno to sops, but would rather that the government provided clarity on crucialtax reform that’s pending. Read St ory

24 February 2011 | The congress-led UPA on Thursday announced a 30-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to examine ”policy prescriptionsand their interpretation” by successive governments in the allocation andpricing of telecom licences and spectrum from 1998 to 2009. Read Story

22 February 2011 | Prime Minister Manmohan Singh succumbed to opposition





pressure for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into second-generation (2G) spectrum allocation, a decision that may pose a politicalproblem for t he Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA). Read Story

21 February 2011 | The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Mondayquestioned promoters of the Videocon group, Venugopal Dhoot and his brotherand Rajya Sabha member Rajkumar Dhoot, over their alleged links with the so-called second-generation (2G) spectrum allocation scam. Read Story

20 February 2011 | Investigations into the allocation of second-generation(2G) mobile spectrum, thus far confined to politicians and companies, havebeen widened to the lenders who financed the telecom firms. Read St ory

• Quick Edit | A chance for reforms

19 February 2011 | As the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conductedsearches at Kalaignar TV Pvt. Ltd in Chennai on Friday as part of investigationsinto alleged wrongdoing in the allocation of second-generation (2G) telecomspectrum, another phone company’s links to the television house came underscrutiny. Read St ory

18 February 2011 | Former telecom minister A Raja and Swan Telecompromoter Shahid Usman Balwa, arrested for their role in the 2G spectrumallocation scam, were “evasive” and “hiding real facts” during questioning, theCBI told a Delhi court on Friday. Read Story

• The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) questioned Prashant Ruia, chief executive officer of Essar Group, on Thursday as part of inquiries into theallocat ion of second-generation (2G) mobile spectrum in 2008. Read St ory

17 February 2011 | Former telecom minister A Raja, arrested for his allegedrole in 2G Spectrum allocation scam, was sent to Tihar Jail by a Delhi court on

Thursday under 14-days’ judicial custody. Read St ory• He blamed the opposition for holding up economic reforms, he blamed thecompulsions of coalition politics for corruption, and he just about refused totake responsibility for everything—and so, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’smeeting with television journalists failed to enthuse investors, the stockmarkets, political analysts, and, expectedly, the opposition parties. Read St ory

16 February 2011 | Amid charges and counter charges by telecom operatorsover 2G spectrum allocation between 2001 and 2009, Bharti group chairmanSunil Mittal has asked the service providers to exercise restraint and not tomake any statement while the probe is on. Read St ory

• After the clearest signal from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on JPCformation to probe 2G spect rum scam, government on Wednesday made a freshbid to end deadlock in Parliament as finance minister Pranab Mukherjee met BJPleaders who insisted that JPC should announced on 22 February to enable theHouse to function normally. Read St ory

• Edit | Plumbing a new low

15 February 2011 | The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) questioned onTuesday the managing director of Unitech Ltd Sanjay Chandra over a telecomcorruption scandal, Binita T hakur, a spokeswoman for t he CBI said. Read St ory





14 February 2011 | Keen to see that the budget session of Parliamentcommences on a smooth note, Congress on Monday gave indications that itmight not be averse to a JPC to probe the 2G scam if the opposition is readyfor a prior debate and agree to modalities for such an inquiry. Read Story

• Former telecom minister A. Raja was on Monday remand for three more daysby a Delhi court which also extended the custody of Swan telecom promoterShahid Usman Balwa for four days in the 2G spectrum case after the CBI said itwanted to confront them on the money trail. Read St ory

13 February 2011 | Banks lending to real estate companies could grind to ahalt after two major realtors were linked to ongoing investigations into thetelecom spectrum scam. Read St ory

• Under the scanner for its alleged association with Swan Telecom, Anil Ambanigroup firm Reliance Communications on Sunday said it only held 9.9% equityshare capital in the firm at the time of applying for 2G licences and assertedthat it did not violate any norms. Read St ory

11 February 2011 | The Supreme Court on Thursday dramatically raised theprofile of the judicial intervention into the alleged scam involving the allotmentof sec ond-generation (2G) telecom spect rum by stating that the c asedeserved to be dealt with by a special court and at the same time asked forthe arrest of all beneficiaries. Read Story

9 February 2011 | Swan Telecom and Unitech Telecom companies hadtogether caused a loss of over Rs7,000 crore to government exchequer as bothhad offloaded their shares for hefty sums after getting the 2G spectrum,alleges CBI. Read St ory

• Central Bureau of Investigation arrested the vice chairman of a joint venturebetween a local firm and Abu Dhabi’s Etisalat in connection to a massive

telecoms scandal that has crippled the government. Read Story

8 February 2011 | Former telecom minister A. Raja was on Tuesday remandedto two more days of CBI custody by a court for further interrogation after theagency submitted that he was not divulging any “useful information” regardinghis role in the 2G scam. Read St ory

4 February 2011 | A one-man panel inquiry into a massive telecom scandal inawarding 2G licences has found many procedural lapses, telecom minister KapilSibal said on Friday. Read Story

• Former telecom minister A. Raja will be in the custody of the Central Bureau

of Investigation (CBI) for five days after a special court on Thursday said theagency could keep him for sustained interrogation due to his alleged role in thesecond-generation (2G) scam. Read St ory

3 February 2011 | The CBI on Thursday accused former telecom minister ARaja of causing a loss of Rs22,000 crore to the exchequer by favouring sometelecom firms in award of the 2G spectrum licences and demanded his custodyfor five days, which a city court granted. Read St ory

2 February 2011 | As news of Raja’s arrest came in, the DMK and AIADMKseemed fully prepared for it, with no disturbances to the city. Some stonethrowing and disruption of bus services were reported in Perambalur, Raja’s





hometown. Read Story

• The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested former telecom minister A.Raja for his alleged involvement in the so-called 2G scam, but the move isunlikely to win the beleaguered United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government arespite from the attacks it has been facing from the opposition. Read St ory

21 January 2011 | The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday asked telecom ministerKapil Sibal to deal with issues related to the controversial allocation of telecom

spectrum with “some sense of responsibility”, in reaction to his criticism of theComptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the subject. Read St ory

• Edit | Another nail in 2G coffin

29 December 2010 | Legal battles involving corporate czars like the Ambanisand Tatas figured prominently in the Supreme Court in 2010, but it was theNiira Radia controversy that threw the light on the corporate prowess in certainquarters of the government, already under fire over a telecom scam. ReadStory

28 December 2010 | India’s two largest political parties, the ruling Congress

and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Tuesday continued to wrangle inpublic over how to investigate alleged irregularities in the allocation of second-generation (2G) telecom spectrum and licences. Read Story

27 December 2010 | Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday wrote to thepublic accounts committee (PAC) probing alleged irregularities in the allocationof second generation (2G) telecom spectrum, saying he was willing to appearbefore it. Read Story

24 December 2010 | Sleuths from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)on Friday questioned the former telecom minister over 2G spectrum allocation

scandal, a move the government hopes will help ease a crippling political rowwith the Opposition. Read St ory

22 December 2010 | The controversy over the allocation of second-generation (2G) spectrum to telecom companies and the increased scrutiny onloans given by state-run banks for the licences tied to this has dented theconfidence of lenders. Read St ory

21 December 2010 | Prime Minister Manmohan Singh resorted to a Romananalogy to defend himself from allegations of inaction relating to the ongoingsecond-generation (2G) controversy but signalled, in a speech to his partymenat Burari in north-west Delhi, that his government, while pursuing punitive

action against those found guilty of graft, would not give in to the opposition’sdemand for an investigation by a joint parliamentary committee intoirregularities in the 2008 allocation of spectrum and licences to telcos. ReadStory

20 December 2010 | Quick Edit | A Roman in Delhi

15 December 2010 | In a crackdown here and in several places in Tamil Naduin connection with the 2G spectrum scam, the CBI on Wednesday searched theoffice and residential premises of corporate lobbyist Nira Radia, former Traichairman Pradip Baijal and a Chennai NGO with which DMK MP Kanimozhi is





linked. Read St ory

13 December 2010 | Parliament ended its paralyzed winter session Mondayafter four weeks that were largely devoid of work but filled with raucousOpposition’s demands for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the2G spectrum allocation scandal that cost the country billions. Read Story

12 December 2010 | Edit | Telecom’s golden goose

10 December 2010 | The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) knew of NiiraRadia’s involvement in an alleged conspiracy as early as 16 November 2009 andwas investigating the irregularities, the income-tax (I-T) department told theSupreme Court on Friday. Read St ory

6 December 2010 | Controversial CVC P J Thomas appears to have got abreather with the Supreme Court on Monday issuing notice to him on a pleaseeking his removal from the key post which will now be heard on 27 January.Read St ory

2 December 2010 | Government on Thursday placed before the SupremeCourt in sealed c over recorded tapes containing the conversations between

corporate lobbyist Niira Radia and others relating to the 2G spectrum allocationcase. Read St ory

30 November 2010 | The government is looking at how the Niira Radia tapesbecame public, after Ratan Tata, c hairman of t he Tata group that isrepresented by Radia, approached the Supreme Court to protect his privacy.Read St ory

29 November 2010 | Tata group chief Ratan Tat a on Monday approached theSupreme Court seeking action against those involved in the leakage of tapescontaining his conversation with corporate lobbyist Nira Radia. Read St ory

23 November 2010 | • Terming Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy’splea for prosecuting A Raja in the 2G spectrum case as “misconceived andpremature”, government on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that the sanctionhad been sought even before a complaint was filed in a court. Read Story

• Prime Minister Manmohan Singh faced questions in the Supreme Court onTuesday over his handling of an alleged multi-billion dollar telecom scam asParliament remained paralyzed over demands by the Opposition for a full probe.Read St ory

22 November 2010 | • With the entire opposition, some allies in the rulingcoalition and second-rung leaders of the ruling Congress party rallying aroundfor a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) to investigate the alleged corruptionin the allotment of spectrum for second generation (2G) telecom services, theonus seems to be on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to break the deadlock.Read St ory

• Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy has accused the law ministry andgovernment law officials of wrongly advising Prime Minister Manmohan Singh towait for evidence before deciding on sanction to prosecute former telecomminister A Raja in the 2G spectrum case. Read Story

• With the logjam continuing in Parliament over the opposition demand for a JPC





probe into the 2G spectrum controversy, Government has convened an all-party meeting this afternoon to end the deadlock. Read St ory

21 November 2010 | • A political logjam that has stalled proceedings inParliament since the winter session started on 9 November is expected topersist, with t he government rejec ting Opposition demands for a parliamentaryprobe of alleged corruption in the allocation of second generation (2G) mobilephone spectrum licences in 2008. Read Story

• Edit | Defending the indefensible

20 November 2010 | • Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s office respondedSaturday to the Supreme Court’s hard line of questioning earlier this week byfiling an 11-page affidavit in the 2G spectrum case. Read St ory

• Union textiles minister Dayanidhi Maran on Saturday denied any wrongdoing in2G spect rum allocation and its pricing during his tenure as t elecom minister andalleged selective leaks of communication between him and Prime MinisterManmohan Singh on the issue. Read St ory

• Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said any wrongdoers in a widening 2G

scam, which is threatening his political survival, will be prosecuted. Read St ory

• With the Opposition targeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his allegedinaction over corruption accusations, the ruling Congress party and thegovernment may take an aggressive tack to counter the allegations, as partyleaders came out strongly in his defence. Read St ory

19 November 2010 | • The department of telecommunications (DoT) will notcancel any of the telecom licences and spectrum given to operators in January2008, for now, but is looking at ensuring that losses made due to alleged faultyprocedures prior to 2008 be rectified as much as possible. Read Story

• Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has turned to Attorney General GE Vahanvatito represent him at the apex court over why he failed to probe the 2G telecomscandal. Read Story

18 November 2010 | • What is the 2G scam? Who is involved? What are theissues? Mint attempts a 360-degree view of the controversy that is rocking anation. ( Graphics )

• The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to file by Saturday an affidavit onPrime Minister Manmohan Singh’s “alleged inaction” on a plea seeking sanctionto prosecute ex-telecom minister A Raja in the 2G spectrum scam case, callingthe matter “extremly serious.” Read story

• India’s fiercely competitive mobile phone industry has been beset by a freshwave of regulatory uncertainty stemming from a possible probe into 2Gspectrum that a government audit says was awarded too cheaply. Read St ory

17 November 2010 | • The Supreme Court’s criticism of Prime MinisterManmohan Singh for his inaction over a request for sanction to prosecuteformer telecom minister A Raja has helped rally opposition parties and could bethe spark for a political campaign against the Congress party-led government.Read St ory





16 November 2010 | • Parliament stalemate over the Opposition demand for aJPC probe into corruption charges continues for fourth day. Read Story

• Striking a defiant note despite his indictment by the CAG over the 2Gspectrum allocation, former telecom minister A Raja said he has not doneanything wrong and was ready for a probe. Read St ory

• The logjam over opposition demand for JPC probe into the 2G spectrum scamstalled proceedings in both Houses of Parliament for the fourth day on Tuesday

even as government made efforts to break the impasse. Read Story

15 November 2010 | • HRD minister Kapil Sibal was given the additionalcharge of the telecom ministry by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in adevelopment that takes the portfolio away from DMK at least for the timebeing. Read St ory

• Ruling out a statement by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Parliament onthe resignation of telecom minister A Raja, the government said BJP’s demandfor a JPC probe into 2G spectrum issue was ‘unacceptable’ and slammed theOpposition party for not allowing the Houses to function. Read St ory

Edit: An enforced exit in New Delhi

14 November 2010 | • Y ielding to relentless opposition pressure, Uniontelecom minister A Raja resigned 0in the wake of the 2G Spectrum allocationscam. Read St ory

• The ruling Congress party appears determined that telecom minister A Raja,accused of corruption in the allotment of second-generation (2G) mobilespectrum, be made to quit, although it’s reluctant to damage ties with alliancepartner Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). Read St ory

12 November 2010 | • Prime Minister Manmohan Singh put the DMK on notice

by not ruling out an alliance with the rival AIADMK. Read St ory

• Undeterred by the mounting opposition attack on his role in 2G spectrumallocat ion, telecom minister A Raja on Friday ruled out resignation over theissue, saying he will prove that everything has been done according to the law.Read St ory

11 November 2010 | • Parliament was rocked for the second day on Thursdaywith the Opposition demanding ouster of telecom minister A Raja and theCongress hitting back at the Sangh Parivar over anti-Sonia Gandhi remarks byformer RSS chief K S Sudarshan. Read Story

10 November 2010 | • Sources in the know say that the CAG has accusedthe telecom ministry for undervaluing 2G spectrum, sold to new players in 2008,and held that the allotment price was not realistic, which has caused arevenue loss of up to Rs1.76 trillion to the government. Read St ory

03 November 2010 | • The telecom ministry has said that policy decisionscannot be ‘assailed’ as arbitrary while debunking government auditor CAG’sreported assertion that 2G spectrum was allocated in an arbitrary mannercausing a loss of Rs1.76 trillion to the exchequer. Read St ory

Edit : The cost of going easy on Raja





29 October 2010 | • The Supreme Court slammed Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for its ‘slipshod’ investigations into the 2G spectrumallocation scam, in which the alleged role of telecom minister A Raja has comeunder the scanner, saying ‘the same minister is still continuing today’. ReadStory

17 October 2010 | • The public audit body Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has indicted the department of telecommunications (DoT), headedby communications minister A Raja, for multiple violations of policy in handingout second generation (2G) mobile phone licences in January 2008, accordingto fresh details that have emerged of its findings. Read St ory

09 October 2010 | • There was fresh trouble for telecom minister A Raja afterthe findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India submitted beforethe Supreme Court doubled the initial estimated losses to the exchequer in the2G spect rum case to Rs.1.39 trillion. Read St ory

08 October 2010 | • The Supreme Court has asked the government torespond to the CAG report pointing out large-scale irregularities and favoritismallegedly by telecom minister A Raja in the Rs70,000 crore 2G spectrum

allocat ion scam in 2008. Read St ory

9 August 2010 | • Telecom minister A Raja has dismissed allegations of corruption in allotment of 2G spectrum in 2008 saying the government followedthe policies of previous NDA regime and the recommendations of TelecomRegulatory Authority of India. Read St ory

Edit | Spect rum on the c heap

07 June 2010 | • The finance ministry is backing a recommendation to forcetelecom firms to pay more for the additional 2G spectrum they have, whichwould put it at odds with mobile service providers such as Bharti Airtel Ltd and

Vodafone Essar Ltd. Read Story

01 June 2010 | • Telecommunications and information technology minister ARaja c ould lose his portfolio in a c abinet reshuffle that Prime Minister ManmohanSingh is expected to undertake in the run-up to Parliament’s monsoon sessionthat begins in July. Read Story

27 May 2010 | • The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) hasrecommended that 2G spectrum on which mobile phones work at present shouldnot be auctioned just as yet. Read Story

24 May 2010 | • Mobile phone operators Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Essar, Idea

have appealed to a telecom tribunal over the sector regulator’s proposals toslap new fees on second-generation spectrum. Read St ory

12 May 2010 | • The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (Trai) plan toimpose new fees for second-generation mobile spectrum in India sent sharesskidding in carriers including Bharti Airtel, which called the proposal ‘shocking,arbitrary and retrograde.’ Read St ory

03 May 2010 | • The auction price of high-speed third-generation (3G)airwaves for mobile telephony on Monday crossed the Rs1,651 crore mark inMumbai and New Delhi — the price at which new operators were given licencesnationally in January 2008, prompting estimates by some experts of a steep





underpricing and loss to the government in the allocation of 2G spectrum someyears ago. Read Story

28 April 2010 | • Fresh allegations of corruption relating to the issue of telecom licences were levelled by the Opposition against the Congress-ledUnited Progressive Alliance government in Parliament. Read St ory

• The 2G telephony spectrum allocation issue created uproar in Parliament inthe wake of reports that a high profile public relation lobbyist acted as a power

broker and was in regular touch with telecom minister A Raja. Read St ory

20 January 2010 | • The department of telecommunications (DoT) mayrenege on its promise to allow winning bidders of high-frequency airwaves formobile telephony to jump a two-year-old queue and get access to low-frequency airwaves ahead of 343 waiting applications. Read Story

23 November 2009 | • The department of telecommunications is consideringincreasing the spectrum usage charge paid by telecom operators by 1percentage point, according to two DoT officials. Read St ory

19 November 2009 | • DoT, in its information memorandum, has said that the

auction will be held starting on 14 January and that the government expects toraise a total of Rs35,000 crore from the sale. Read St ory

23 October 2009 | • Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee declined to commenton the CBI raids on the office of Department of Telecom (DoT) in connectionwith alleged irregularities in allocation of 2G spectrum to new players. ReadStory

22 October 2009 | • The CBI searched offices of the Department of Telecomon Thursday in connection with alleged irregularities in allocation of 2Gspectrum to some of the new players. Read St ory

26 October 2009 | • Describing the 2G spectrum allocation controversy as thebiggest scam in independent India, the BJP criticized PM for defending telecomminister A. Raja. Read Story

06 October 2009 | • Auctions of third-generation (3G) telecom licences,which will allow phone companies to offer high-speed Internet and videodownloads on handsets, may include a bonus for operators of existing second-generation (2G) services that submit winning bids. Read Story

17 August 2009 | • In what may be a blow to mobile phone operators, thefinance ministry has asked the department of telecommunications (DoT) to

ensure that no allocation of spectrum is made till a panel’s report on secondgeneration (2G) spectrum is finalized. Read Story

06 August 2009 | • The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) hasasked the government to “keep in abeyance” the grant of new secondgeneration (2G) licences till the watchdog finalizes its recommendations, it saidin a letter posted on its website. Read Story

Pradip Baijal’s Essay | • The last few years have shown that communicationsis the best investment for a country and we should not shift resources fromthe telecom sector for funding unviable sectors of the Indian economy. Clickhere to read full article





02 July 2009 | • India should auction 2G spectrum and allow this to be tradedrather than give holders of telecoms licences entitlement to the radio waves asis the current practice, the government said. Read St ory

16 June 2009 | • The promise of raising up to Rs40,000 crore in revenue fromthe auction of spectrum for third generation, or 3G, mobile services hasprompted the department of telecommunications, or DoT, to put policy changesregarding second generation, or 2G, services on the backburner. Read St ory

31 May 2009 | • In its reply to a petition submitted before the Delhi highcourt, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has defended thegovernment’s move to allot spectrum with licence to new entrants on a first-come, first-served basis, saying that this would ensure a level playing field.Read St ory

28 November 2008 | • In the midst of a controversy over allotment of spectrum to new players, telecom regulator Trai today said that market forcesshould have determined the price of a licence, which includes start-upspectrum. Read Story

12 November 2008 | • The ministerial panel was created by the DoT to lookat a fair model of charging firms offering 3G services and ways to segregaterevenue from 2G and 3G services. Read Story

04 November 2008 | • Is the telecom ministry opposing 2G spectrum auctionbecause that would require transparency? Read St ory

03 November 2008 | • A parliamentary panel has called a meeting on 14November to discuss spectrum allocation for 2G mobile services and the launchof 3G services in the country. Read St ory

Edit | A sad tale of half-truths

13 October 2008 | • GSM operators’ group COAI strongly supported DoTproposal to have separate revenues for 2G and 3G services, adding that thismodel will also speed up 3G roll-out in the country. Read St ory

Views | Auctions ahoy

25 October 2007 | • The government has ruled out the possibility of auctioning 2G — or so-called second generation — spectrum for mobileservices, even as it looks at the process of implementation of mobile numberportability across the c ountry. Read St ory

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