Indian Telecom has flourished not just economically but has also gained a fair bit of news momentum since A Raja took the chair of the Indian Telecom Ministry. Now, however, the scam-tainted Union Minister for Communications has received overwhelming support from the Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh.
Raja is accused of selling the 2G spectrum for second-generation (2G) telecom services at prices prevailing in 2001 causing a huge loss to the national exchequer, but the PM has asserted that what Raja did was simply implement a policy already in place.
The saga started back in 2008 and caused huge turmoil in the Indian telecom sphere when Raja was accused of misappropriation of 2G revenues.
Raja denied the charges of selling licenses and spectrum at unimaginably low prices.
In his defense, Raja fingered a mysterious lobby group which he claims to have dismantled, saying that it was only because he ‘broke’ the cartel that he was now being targeted and set up. In India, where cartels are usually politico funded, many found it fishy when Raja alleged that a number of private companies had been part of this cartel, but failed to name any politicians.
Things may now take a completely new turn, however, as Raja has always maintained the Prime Minister was in the loop behind all decisions taken on the spectrum issue.
Raja now says he is ready for any investigation, but it should get to the root of the issue.
While this may be the second consecutive tenure for Raja under the united progressive alliance government (UPA) he has always been in the news for the wrong reasons. No wonder he is chairing the top telecom position amidst the entire conundrum and hullabaloo around the 3G spectrum auction.
Even the prime minister himself has confessed that there is a disparity in the revenue generation from 2G licenses compared to a whopping $15 billion from the recently concluded 3G auction.
The investigation continues.
85
previous post
