Telecom report submitted

The JPC report on allocation and pricing of telecom licenses and 2G spectrum has been handed over to the Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar.Report highlights include a criticism of the CAG’s ‘presumptive loss’ theory and a clear statement of the fact thatattorney general G E Vahanvati — solicitor general when the 2G licences were issued - was in the know of procedures approved by the telecom ministry under A Raja, the then telecom minister. Committee chairman PC Chacko, veteran Congressman from Kerala, criticised for editing dissent notes, has clarified that only those notes that were in poor taste or factually inaccurate were edited. The BJP has dubbed the report as a cover up for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s role in the spectrum allocation. The report, to be discussed during the winter session of the Parliament, calls for a policy decision on stringent guidelines on allocation of additional spectrum. It would appear that scams like 2G are unlikely to be forgotten anytime soon because the opposition is up in arms.