FIRST ORDER 25%

We recommend

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Furious SC warns govt not to play with its 2G order


New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday warned the UPA government against playing with its order mandating auction of all 2G spectrum licences, and said prima facie it had found that the entire range of spectrum available after the cancellation of the licences had not been put up for auction. 
    Several private telecom players enthusiastically pointed out that the Centre had not fully complied with the SC's February 2 ruling on auctioning all 122 licences cancelled and that only a part of the available bandwidth under 800 MHz, 900 MHz and 1,800 MHz had been put up for auction, the process for which began after repeated extension of time sought by the Centre. 
    A bench of Justic
es G S Singhvi and K S Radhakrishnan, however, doused the enthusiasm by observing that compliance of its February 2 order was a matter between the court and the Centre. "We will not hear any private party on this issue," it said. At the same time, the bench disagreed with additional solicitor general A S Chandiok's claim that the government had implemented the SC's order, and sought an affidavit by November 19 detailing the implementation. Apex court stays HC proceedings he apex court on Friday stayed all proceedings before the Delhi HC on 20 petitions filed by the 2G scam accused, including ex-telecom minister A Raja and DMK MP Kanimozhi, challenging the charges against them. The order came after the CBI said the applications appeared to be dilatory tactics. P 12 Read Trai views on spectrum: SC to govt 
New Delhi: Taking the government to task for not implementing its February 2 order on auctioning all 122 cancelled spectrum licences, the Supreme Court on Friday said, "The order relating to the auction was clear and related to all three bandwidths. How did your officials curtail it? Ask your officers to read the recommendation of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. It pertained to all three bandwidths. If you are suggesting that Trai had done it, then read the recommendations." The judges added, "We can tell you clearly , prima facie you are not carrying out the court's order. You are playing with the court's order. We are clear that you were required to grant fresh licences in all 22 service areas and you have not done it." 
    Additional SG A S Chadiok said as far as 800 MHz licences were concerned, there were no bidders in the auction process. "For the grant of spectrum licences in the 1,800 MHz band
width, there are five bidders," he said. But the court wanted the department of telecom to file a fresh affidavit with documents to show that it had complied with the SC's February 2 directive in letter and spirit. 
    The government will need to examine the issue closely as the telecom secretary, while seeking extension of time for the auction of the cancelled licences earlier, had filed an affidavit promising the court that its February 2 directive would be complied with in letter and spirit irrespective of the outcome of the 2G presidential reference seeking clarification on "auction route" for all natural resources. Of the three bandwidths, 900 MHz was not part of the direction for auction as no licences were cancelled in this category, DoT sources said. "Adequate spectrum has been auctioned in the 800 MHz and 1,800 MHz bands, and enough spectrum is available for all five bidders seeking 30 licences in the 1,800 MHz band. All bidders in the 800 MHz band have withdrawn," the sources said.

0 comments:

 

blogger templates | Make Money Online