With the shifting out of RK Chandolia, economic adviser in the ministry of Quiz »

telecommunications, the government has begun ridding the ministry of Which

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people linked to the 2G (second generation) spectrum scandal and country has
associated with former telecommunications minister A Raja. topped the
list of
countries
Sources say the origins of the 2G spectrum scam can be traced back to the contributin
days when Raja and Chandolia together ruled over the environment                          + - g to space
ministry. Companies across sectors, including real estate majors, had Related links debris,
approached the environment ministry seeking clearances for their projects. For Congress, it’s a battle according
on many fronts to a study
This “close association” between the companies and Raja continued even Manmohan Singh seeks by the
change of guard in CBI, RAW, IB, Russian
after Raja was made minister of communications and information NTRO
technology. Many of these companies benefited from the allocation of 2G space
spectrum in 2007-08, including firms that then had no presence in telecom. Does Raja have a stake agency,
in a telecom firm? CBI thinks so Roscosmos
Nailing A Raja difficult: ?
The sources said that Chandolia, who was transferred out on Friday, had a TRAI lawyer
significant role to play in how the 2G licences were given out to companies
CBI counsel’s job is to
Speak
around three years ago even as he helped a chosen few to jump the queue. avert SIT in 2G scam Up »
Pan-India 2G licence, along with start-up spectrum, was given out in 2007-
Gallery Cartoons,
08 to companies on a first-come, first-served basis at a cost of Rs1651 kids and
crore, rather than auctioning the highly valued spectrum. violence:
Deadly mix
Moreover, the telecommunications ministry announced a cut-off date of on TV
October 1, 2007, for receiving applications, but subsequently advanced it to
September 25, 2007. Chandolia was the points-person for the 2G Interview
applications then, armed with power to make things happen for a chosen »
few. “Long-standing friends” from the environment ministry were taken care Ousted
of, say the sources. The week in pictures: November Manpreet
14-20, 2010 Singh
Chandolia, a 1984 batch Indian Economic Service (IES) officer, was a Badal’s
director in the environment ministry when he first met Raja. says it’s no
Video
more a
family
This was in 2004, when Raja was appointed environment minister after the matter
UPA came to power. Raja soon promoted Chandolia, making him a personal
secretary (PS). View more
interviews » 

When Raja was shifted to telecom ministry in May 2007, he took Chandolia
along as his PS. Chandolia was promoted to joint secretary and later made
economic advisor in the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). Children carriers for smugglers on
Indo-Nepal border
An official said that appointing Chandolia as economic advisor after he had
served as the PS to the minister was a violation of the rules governing
personnel. It now appears that he was made economic advisor after
objections were raised over his role in the 2G spectrum allocation.
Blogs »
Though an economic advisor, he had the power take a call on key When
appointments in the state-owned firms Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited Radia killed
(BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL). Moreover, the media
Chandolia was reporting to the DoT secretary, thus jumping the star
organisational structure.
- G Sampath
The road ahead for Chandolia appears bumpy. As of now, he has been View more
shifted to the finance ministry but given the heat on unearthing the spectrum blogs » 
scam, his role remains unclear.
Opinion
»
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