BJP today slammed the
government for pricing telecom spectrum at Rs 14,000 Crore
which is 22 per cent lower than the TRAI recommendations and
sought to know what prompted the Union Cabinet to take this
decision.
"TRAI had recommended that even a hike of five paise
per minute would help the service provider cover-up the so
called legacy losses... Why did the Cabinet then decide on Rs
14,000 Crore price for the spectrum? What was the basis of the
reduction to Rs 14,000 Cr when TRAI had recommended the price
of Rs 18,000 Cr," BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said.
He alleged that not even once has the government
provided any justification for deciding this price which is 22
per cent lower than what was recommended by TRAI.
"What were the considered reasons in the Cabinet? Has
the Cabinet held a kangaroo sitting to reduce the price? BJP
feels this is again a blatant attempt by the Prime Minister
and the Home Minister to reduce the price," Rudy said.
The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,
yesterday agreed to price 5 MHz of airwaves in the 1,800
Mhz band at the lower end of the Rs 14,000 crore to Rs 15,000
crore reserve price band suggested by a ministers' group.
Rudy said this new pricing, though low, proves Telecom
Minister Kapil Sibal's earlier contention that there was "zero
loss" in 2G spectrum allocation was wrong. "If it was zero
loss than how come the government has decided on a price of Rs
14,000 crore," he said.
This price is seven times higher than the price
companies had paid during 2G spectrum allocation in 2008 when
A Raja was the Telecom minister. .
Describing the earlier 2G spectrum allocation as a loot, Rudy said even now TRAI recommendations have not been
accepted though it is a constitutional body.
The BJP MP claimed that as per the amendment to
Section 11 of the TRAI Act, if the Cabinet does not accept its
recommendation then the new proposal has to be sent to TRAI
for a nod.
Rudy said BJP stand on the 2G spectrum allocation was
vindicated earlier when the Supreme Court had cancelled 122
licenses.
"Even the CBI has said the loss in spectrum allocation
was Rs 30,000 Crore," he said.
He maintained that the speculative loss theory of the
government has been "thrown out" and reiterated the BJP stand
that even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh cannot free himself of
the charge, along with then Finance Minister P Chidambaram,
that the country had suffered a loss. He added that Raja had
to go to jail for this.
