CPM shows official letter to nail Raja

The CPM said telecommunications minister A Raja had misled Parliament when he claimed that watchdogs like the CVC and TRAI did not question the way spectrum was allocated for 2G telecom services.

The CPM on Friday said telecommunications minister A Raja had misled Parliament when he claimed that watchdogs like the Central Vigilance Committee (CVC) and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) did not question the way spectrum was allocated for 2G telecom services.

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A letter from CVC, written to department of telecommunications (DoT) on November 15 and which the CPM presented before the media, had stated that while telecom licencee Swan had bought a pan-India mobile operator's license for Rs 1,650 crore, it sold 45 per cent equity for Rs 4,050 crore ($900 million) to the UAE-based Etisalat Telecom, all this without launching any service.

“This is highly unethical practice (sic) and action in this regard is essential,” CVC secretary K.S. Ramasubban wrote in his letter.

CPM leader Sitaram Yechury, who addressed reporters, said: “The Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) has to take the lead to probe this mega scam. The onus lies on the PM because a scam of this magnitude cannot be corrected by one department or ministry.”

Asked to respond to CPM charge, Raja told HT: “I have already responded to these allegations a number of times. All my decisions regarding spectrum allocations were in accordance with Unified Access Service Licence guidelines and the National Telecom Policy (1999).’