It’s politically motivated: Raja

Communications and IT minister A. Raja on Tuesday said that the controversy regarding allotting licences and spectrum to new operators was politically motivated.

Communications and IT minister A. Raja on Tuesday said that the controversy regarding allotting licences and spectrum to new operators was politically motivated. “That is why it is coming up again and again despite fact that the whole issue has been explained on various platforms,” Raja told Hindustan Times. “This is a result of corporate war.”

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On Monday, the Supreme Court sent him a notice seeking response to a plea from public interest litigations (PILs) for tracking the progress of the CBI probe.

Raja said some of the operators want a bailout package for the new telecom service providers who were issued licences in January, 2008. “This issue was discussed in the last meeting between the operators and the telecom ministry,” the minister said.

“Telecom Commission is looking into the issue,” he said. Telecom Commission is the highest decision making authority on this issue. Currently, there are no guidelines on surrendering of licences.

Some operators have asked the government to return their licence fee as they want to surrender their licences. New telecom service providers are finding it difficult to operate services. At least two new operators have not yet launched services. Officials say they have given indication that would like to surrender their licences.