Giving an insider account of how rules were bent during the tenure of former telecom minister A Raja in 2G spectrum allocation, a senior department official has told CBI that minutes of meetings were also illegally modified to change the policy.
In the statement made to the CBI which is the part of the chargesheet, the Deputy Director General (Access Service) A K Srivastava said that their opinions were overruled by the Raja, who along with his personal secretary R K Chandolia, used to take all the decisions on the procedure adopted to grant 2G licence.
He said the minutes of Telecom Commission's meetings were also modified because the decisions taken in its meetings were different from the orders finally passed by DoT.
Recalling an incident of January 10, 2008 when the controversial press notes were issued on the 2G spectrum allocation, he said while he was still discussing on what modalities may be adopted for issuance of Letter of Intents to the eligible telecom companies, Chandolia unprecedently came to his chamber to "intervene and convene that the LoIs must be issued on the same day itself as decided by Raja.
Srivastava, who has been named as one of the star witnesses, said when he resisted, Chandolia insisted that this was specifically what was desired by Raja.
{{/usCountry}}Srivastava, who has been named as one of the star witnesses, said when he resisted, Chandolia insisted that this was specifically what was desired by Raja.
{{/usCountry}}When faced with resistance, Chandaolia directed him to come to Behura's chamber where he was overruled and it was decided that LoIs will be granted on the same day by opening four counters, he told the CBI.
This was not the only such instance--decisions regarding eligibility of companies, cut-off date for applications for licence and then change in cut-off dates were also made by overruling opinions of many officers in the Ministry," he said.