http://www.indiaeveryday.com/fullnews-rs-170000-crore-2g-scam-cag-nails-raja-1002-1961378.htm
Telecom Minister A Raja has been indicted by the CAG in the 2G spectrum scam, which resulted in a loss of about Rs 170,000 crore (Rs 1.7 trillion), says a report in The Economic Times.
The report submitted to the Prime Minister's Office nails Raja for gross mismanagement in the 2G allocation.
Raja ignored the advice of the finance ministry, the law ministry and the Telecom Commission while allocating the spectrum, says the CAG report.
The report also slams TRAI for being a 'helpless spectator'. It also indicts the Department of Telecom for flouting eligibility norms.
Last month, the Supreme Court slammed the Central Bureau of Investigation for its "slipshod" investigations into the 2G spectrum allocation scam, in which the alleged role of Telecom Minister A Raja has come under the scanner, saying "the same minister is still continuing today".
"You (CBI) have not done anything. The matter is serious. The same minister is still continuing today. Is that the way the government functions?" the Supreme Court asked.
When asked about the SC report, "I do not want to talk on whatever happened in the Supreme Court as the matter is now sub-judice and it is not proper for me to comment," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said.
Earlier in June, Communist Party of India (Marxist) demanded sacking telecom minister A Raja at least during the period of the probe.
Alleging that the exchequer has lost a staggering Rs 190,000 crore (Rs 1.9 trillion from the 2G spectrum), senior CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury said the issue of 2G spectrum licence to private telcos "lacked" fairness and transparency.
"If we use the recent 3G auction price to benchmark the spectrum price for 2G as Trai has recently suggested, the loss is of the order of a whopping Rs 190,000 crore," Yechury said, adding Raja's argument that 2G was priced at a low Rs 1,650 crore (Rs 16.5 billion) per operator with a view to keep the prices of services to the consumer low "does not hold water".
The opposition parties have been demanding the resignation of A Raja since 2009.
Calling it the largest scam in independent India, the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2009 said there were irregularities in allotting wireless radio spectrum and licences by the telecom ministry to nine private operators in 2007.
The government had in 2007 recommended an 'open licence regime'. "Applications for telecom licences were invited setting Oct 1, 2007, as the deadline. An artificial cut-off date, Sep 25, 2007, was created and applications received between Sep 25 and Oct 1 were summarily rejected. Rules of the game were changed after the game had begun," the BJP charged.
Telecom Minister A Raja has been indicted by the CAG in the 2G spectrum scam, which resulted in a loss of about Rs 170,000 crore (Rs 1.7 trillion), says a report in The Economic Times.
The report submitted to the Prime Minister's Office nails Raja for gross mismanagement in the 2G allocation.
Raja ignored the advice of the finance ministry, the law ministry and the Telecom Commission while allocating the spectrum, says the CAG report.
The report also slams TRAI for being a 'helpless spectator'. It also indicts the Department of Telecom for flouting eligibility norms.
Last month, the Supreme Court slammed the Central Bureau of Investigation for its "slipshod" investigations into the 2G spectrum allocation scam, in which the alleged role of Telecom Minister A Raja has come under the scanner, saying "the same minister is still continuing today".
"You (CBI) have not done anything. The matter is serious. The same minister is still continuing today. Is that the way the government functions?" the Supreme Court asked.
When asked about the SC report, "I do not want to talk on whatever happened in the Supreme Court as the matter is now sub-judice and it is not proper for me to comment," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said.
Earlier in June, Communist Party of India (Marxist) demanded sacking telecom minister A Raja at least during the period of the probe.
Alleging that the exchequer has lost a staggering Rs 190,000 crore (Rs 1.9 trillion from the 2G spectrum), senior CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury said the issue of 2G spectrum licence to private telcos "lacked" fairness and transparency.
"If we use the recent 3G auction price to benchmark the spectrum price for 2G as Trai has recently suggested, the loss is of the order of a whopping Rs 190,000 crore," Yechury said, adding Raja's argument that 2G was priced at a low Rs 1,650 crore (Rs 16.5 billion) per operator with a view to keep the prices of services to the consumer low "does not hold water".
The opposition parties have been demanding the resignation of A Raja since 2009.
Calling it the largest scam in independent India, the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2009 said there were irregularities in allotting wireless radio spectrum and licences by the telecom ministry to nine private operators in 2007.
The government had in 2007 recommended an 'open licence regime'. "Applications for telecom licences were invited setting Oct 1, 2007, as the deadline. An artificial cut-off date, Sep 25, 2007, was created and applications received between Sep 25 and Oct 1 were summarily rejected. Rules of the game were changed after the game had begun," the BJP charged.
