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Posted: Wed, Apr 27 2011. 1:15 AM IST

Timeline: 2G scam
Government auditor says telecom department ignored advice of PM, finance ministry livemint.com
In what c ould potentially be a politic al setback for the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA), the Supreme Court ticked off Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his inaction on corruption allegations against former telecom minister A Raja. The apex court was referring to the letter to the PM from Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy where he sought sanc tion to have Raja indic ted over c orruption charges; the PM responded after 16 months without taking a stand. Comptroller and auditor general has critic ised former telecom minister A Raja for favouring industrial houses, and said he allotted the spec trum by ignoring the prime ministers advice and incurred a loss of Rs1.76 trillion. 2G spectrum allocation, the CAG reports says lacked transparency was arbitrary, unfair and inequitable flouted every canon of finanac ial propriety, rules and proc edures ************************ The following is a chronology of how the 2G scam began and the journey so far 26 April 2011 | The CBI is likely to approach the Supreme Court to extend the 31 May deadline to file the third c hargesheet in the 2G spectrum scam. Read story The Delhi high c ourt said on Tuesday it will resume on 29 April a hearing for bail applications of five business exec utives charged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a multi-billion dollar 2G spectrum scam c ase. Read story 25 April 2011 | The sc andal-scarred United Progressive Allianc e (UPA) suffered a fresh setback on Monday, after twin blows by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the federal investigating agenc y. Read story 24 April 2011| The CBI, in its second c hargesheet likely to be filed tomorrow, may name Tamil Nadu c hief minister M Karunanidhis daughter Kanimozhi, wife Dayalu Ammal and several others for allegedly getting benefits out of the allocation of 2G spec trum to c ertain telecom firms. Read Story 23 April 2011 | Former telecom minister A. Raja and two corporate honchos, who have been chargesheeted in the 2G Spectrum allocation sc am case, on Saturday c omplained to a Delhi c ourt that documents supplied to them by the
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CBI were incomplete. Read Story 21 April 2011 | Delhi High Court on Thursday deferred a hearing on bail pleas of five business exec utives charged in one of Indias biggest c orruption scandals that has undermined the government and business sentiment in Asias third-largest ec onomy. Read Story The impasse over the Public Acc ounts Committee (PAC) report on alleged irregularities in sec ond-generation (2G) spectrum allocation continued as the ruling Congress party stuck to its position that the matter should be probed by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) formed to investigate the issue. Read Story 20 April 2011 | A court on Wednesday rejected bail applications of five business executives involved in one of Indias biggest corruption sc andals, pushing forward a case that has undermined the government and business sentiment in Asias third largest economy. Read Story 15 April 2011 | A court on Friday reserved till 20 April its order on the bail plea of five corporate executives, ac cused in the 2G spec trum scam, after CBI argued that they be sent to jail as the fear of witnesses being won over or influenced is there. Read Story The Public Accounts Committees (PAC) probe into second-generation (2G) spectrum allocation irregularities hit a new hurdle on Friday with members on the panel from the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) c hallenging the func tioning of the panel as a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) is c onducting an enquiry into the same issue. Read Story Despite failing 14 eligibility conditions, Swan Telecom was given a second c hance following the personal intervention of former telecom minister A. Raja, a scrutiny of the doc uments of the department of telecommunications (DoT) and the c harge sheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) shows. Read Story 13 April 2011 | Five corporate honchos, who have been named in the charge sheet in the 2G spectrum c ase, on Wednesday moved bail pleas in a Delhi court which asked the CBI to file its replies. Read Story A court on Wednesday put on trial the first set of offic ials and businessmen indicted in the countrys biggest corruption case, a multi-billion dollar telecom scandal that has weakened the government and put off some foreign investors. Read Story 11 April 2011 | The Supreme Court on Monday directed the government to appoint senior advocate U. U. Lalit as special public prosec utor for the trial of 2G spectrum case involving former telecom minister A. Raja and others. Read Story In what c ould lead to a redrawing of the Indian telecom sector in three years, minister for c ommunications and information technology Kapil Sibal said on Monday that an operator would have to apply 30 months in advance of the expiry of its lic enc e for renewal. The renewed licenc e will only be valid for 10 years, half the lifespan of existing ones. Read Story The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate
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(ED) may send a joint team to Cyprus and Mauritius to follow the money trail linking those allegedly involved in wrongdoing in the alloc ation of secondgeneration (2G) telec om spectrum. Read Story 3 April 2011 | The stage is set for the start of a criminal trial that will bring c rony capitalism under sc rutiny after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed its first chargesheet over alleged wrongdoing in the allotment of secondgeneration (2G) telec om licenc es, implicating one of Indias most high-profile business groups, its second biggest real estate company and a prominent politician among others. Read Story 1 April 2011 | Senior advocate Uday U. Lalitwill be the spec ial public prosec utor in the sec ond-generation (2G) spectrum case, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) counsel K.K. Venugopaltold the Supreme Court on Friday. Read Story 29 March 2011 | The CBI on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court that telecom companies - Swan Telecom and Loop Telecom - were used as front c ompanies by established telec om players to get 2G spectrum illegally during the tenure of former telecom minister A Raja. Read Story Ratan Tata and Anil Ambani will appear before a parliamentary c ommittee that is probing a multi-billion-dollar telecom lic enc ing scandal, their companies said in separate statements. Read Story 28 March 2011 | DB Realty, which is embroiled in the 2G spectrum probe, on Monday said its director Sundaram Rajagopal has stepped down, making him the fourth board member to quit since February. Read Story Parliaments public ac counts committee (PAC) has summoned c orporate lobbyist Niira Radia and Tata group chairperson Ratan Tata on 4 April to disc uss their role in the 2G spec trum alloc ation case. Read Story 25 March 2011 | A Delhi c ourt on Friday transferred the private c omplaint of Janata Party c hief Subramanian Swamy in the 2G spectrum case to the spec ial c ourt constituted by the Supreme Court to deal with all c ases related to the scam. Read Story 23 March 2011 | The CBI will examine officials of Loop Telecom, under the scanner in the 2G spectrum allocation scam, about their meeting with the Indian high c ommissioner to Mauritius during which they had sought details of Letters Rogatory sent by the agency in connec tion with its probe. Read Story 22 March 2011 | The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) may name former telecom minister A. Raja, Kalaignar TV managing direc tor Sharad Kumar, former managing director of DB Realty LtdShahid Balwa and other arrested acc used in its first chargesheet in the second-generation (2G) spectrum allocation c ase to be filed before a special court on 31 March. Read Story Quick Edit |Completing the deck 17 March 2011 | The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its order on petitions seeking c anc ellation of 122 lic enc es of telec om operators who allegedly benefited in the 2G spec trum allocation scam during the tenure of former telecom Minister A. Raja. Read Story
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The death of former telecom minister A Rajas key aide Sadiq Batcha was due to asphyxia and his body showed compression of the nec k with hanging mark, a doctor who c onducted the post-mortem said on Thursday. Read Story 16 March 2011 | The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the government to c larify if its first-come-first-served policy for spectrum alloc ation was evolved by Trai or the department of telec ommunic ation following conflic ting versions. Read Story Chennai-based realtor Sadhic k Batc ha, a close aide of jailed former telec om minister A Raja, was dec lared dead after he was found hanged at his home on Wednesday, police said. There was no immediate clarity on whether the death was a suic ide. Read Story The probe into the 2G sc am led CBI to the doors of countrys top law officer Attorney General G E Vahanvati and RBI Governor D Subbarao whose statements were recorded by the agency in connection with the multi-c rore spectrum allocation. Read Story 11 March 2011 | Widening its probe into the 2G scam, the CBI on Friday questioned DMK c hief M Karunanidhis daughter Kanimozhi and his wife Dayalu Ammal on alleged transfer of money from Mumbai-based Cineyug to Kalaignar TV, in which both jointly own 80% stake. Read Story 10 March 2011 | The joint parliamentary committee (JPC), constituted to probe the 2G spectrum sc am, will have its first meeting on 24 Marc h. Read Story 7 March 2011 | DB Realty on Monday said that it has acc epted the resignation of its managing director and director of the c ompany Shahid Balwa with effect from 9 February 2011. Read Story 4 March 2011 | The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will start fixing the c riminal culpability of telecom companies being probed for their involvement in the second-generation (2G) telecom spectrum allocation scandal within two weeks, and include this in the draft chargesheet to be filed before the Supreme Court (SC), two senior offic ials at the investigative agency said. Read Story 1 March 2011 | Jailed former telecom minister A Rajas plea to partic ipate in the proceedings in the 2G spec trum allocation scam case against him through video- conferencing was on Tuesday allowed by a Delhi court. Read Story 28 February 2011 | Every whic h way you look at it, this years Union budget is very important. Consumers, who rarely c ount midway through a governments term, are looking for relief from inflation and governanc e failures; similarly, the growing legion of impatient youth (50% of India is less than 35 years of age) needs jobs. Indian industry, despite its newly acquired chutzpah, will not say no to sops, but would rather that the government provided c larity on crucial tax reform thats pending. Read Story 24 February 2011 | The congress-led UPA on Thursday announced a 30member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to examine policy prescriptions and their interpretation by successive governments in the allocation and pricing of telecom licences and spectrum from 1998 to 2009. Read Story 22 February 2011 | Prime Minister Manmohan Singh suc cumbed to opposition
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pressure for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into sec ondgeneration (2G) spectrum allocation, a dec ision that may pose a political problem for the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA). Read Story 21 February 2011 | The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday questioned promoters of the Videoc on group, Venugopal Dhoot and his brother and Rajya Sabha member Rajkumar Dhoot, over their alleged links with the soc alled second-generation (2G) spec trum allocation scam. Read Story 20 February 2011 | Investigations into the allocation of second-generation (2G) mobile spectrum, thus far c onfined to politicians and c ompanies, have been widened to the lenders who financed the telec om firms. Read Story Quick Edit |A c hance for reforms 19 February 2011 | As the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted searches at Kalaignar TV Pvt. Ltd in Chennai on Friday as part of investigations into alleged wrongdoing in the alloc ation of second-generation (2G) telecom spectrum, another phone companys links to the television house came under scrutiny. Read Story 18 February 2011 | Former telec om minister A Raja and Swan Telec om promoter Shahid Usman Balwa, arrested for their role in the 2G spec trum allocation scam, were evasive and hiding real fac ts during questioning, the CBI told a Delhi court on Friday. Read Story The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) questioned Prashant Ruia, chief executive officer of Essar Group, on Thursday as part of inquiries into the allocation of sec ond-generation (2G) mobile spectrum in 2008. Read Story 17 February 2011 | Former telec om minister A Raja, arrested for his alleged role in 2G Spec trum allocation scam, was sent to Tihar Jail by a Delhi court on Thursday under 14-days judic ial c ustody. Read Story He blamed the opposition for holding up economic reforms, he blamed the c ompulsions of coalition politic s for corruption, and he just about refused to take responsibility for everythingand so, Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs meeting with television journalists failed to enthuse investors, the stock markets, political analysts, and, expec tedly, the opposition parties. Read Story 16 February 2011 | Amid charges and counter charges by telec om operators over 2G spectrum allocation between 2001 and 2009, Bharti group chairman Sunil Mittal has asked the service providers to exercise restraint and not to make any statement while the probe is on. Read Story After the c learest signal from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on JPC formation to probe 2G spec trum sc am, government on Wednesday made a fresh bid to end deadlock in Parliament as finance minister Pranab Mukherjee met BJP leaders who insisted that JPC should announc ed on 22 February to enable the House to function normally. Read Story Edit |Plumbing a new low 15 February 2011 | The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) questioned on Tuesday the managing director of Unitech Ltd Sanjay Chandra over a telec om c orruption scandal, Binita Thakur, a spokeswoman for the CBI said. Read Story
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14 February 2011 | Keen to see that the budget session of Parliament c ommences on a smooth note, Congress on Monday gave indications that it might not be averse to a JPC to probe the 2G scam if the opposition is ready for a prior debate and agree to modalities for such an inquiry. Read Story Former telecom minister A. Raja was on Monday remand for three more days by a Delhi court which also extended the c ustody of Swan telecom promoter Shahid Usman Balwa for four days in the 2G spectrum case after the CBI said it wanted to confront them on the money trail. Read Story 13 February 2011 | Banks lending to real estate companies could grind to a halt after two major realtors were linked to ongoing investigations into the telecom spec trum scam. Read Story Under the sc anner for its alleged association with Swan Telecom, Anil Ambani group firm Reliance Communications on Sunday said it only held 9.9% equity share capital in the firm at the time of applying for 2G lic enc es and asserted that it did not violate any norms. Read Story 11 February 2011 | The Supreme Court on Thursday dramatically raised the profile of the judic ial intervention into the alleged sc am involving the allotment of sec ond-generation (2G) telecom spectrum by stating that the case deserved to be dealt with by a special court and at the same time asked for the arrest of all beneficiaries. Read Story 9 February 2011 | Swan Telec om and Unitech Telecom c ompanies had together c aused a loss of over Rs7,000 crore to government exchequer as both had offloaded their shares for hefty sums after getting the 2G spectrum, alleges CBI. Read Story Central Bureau of Investigation arrested the vice c hairman of a joint venture between a loc al firm and Abu Dhabis Etisalat in connection to a massive telecoms sc andal that has crippled the government. Read Story 8 February 2011 | Former telec om minister A. Raja was on Tuesday remanded to two more days of CBI c ustody by a c ourt for further interrogation after the agency submitted that he was not divulging any useful information regarding his role in the 2G scam. Read Story 4 February 2011 | A one-man panel inquiry into a massive telec om sc andal in awarding 2G lic enc es has found many procedural lapses, telecom minister Kapil Sibal said on Friday. Read Story Former telecom minister A. Raja will be in the c ustody of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for five days after a special c ourt on Thursday said the agency c ould keep him for sustained interrogation due to his alleged role in the sec ond-generation (2G) sc am. Read Story 3 February 2011 | The CBI on Thursday accused former telecom minister A Raja of causing a loss of Rs22,000 c rore to the exchequer by favouring some telecom firms in award of the 2G spec trum licences and demanded his custody for five days, which a c ity court granted. Read Story 2 February 2011 | As news of Rajas arrest came in, the DMK and AIADMK seemed fully prepared for it, with no disturbanc es to the c ity. Some stone throwing and disruption of bus services were reported in Perambalur, Rajas
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hometown. Read Story The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested former telecom minister A. Raja for his alleged involvement in the so-called 2G sc am, but the move is unlikely to win the beleaguered United Progressive Allianc e (UPA) government a respite from the attacks it has been facing from the opposition. Read Story 21 January 2011 | The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday asked telecom minister Kapil Sibal to deal with issues related to the controversial allocation of telecom spectrum with some sense of responsibility, in reaction to his c riticism of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the subject. Read Story Edit |Another nail in 2G coffin 29 December 2010 | Legal battles involving corporate czars like the Ambanis and Tatas figured prominently in the Supreme Court in 2010, but it was the Niira Radia controversy that threw the light on the corporate prowess in c ertain quarters of the government, already under fire over a telecom scam. Read Story 28 December 2010 | Indias two largest politic al parties, the ruling Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Tuesday continued to wrangle in public over how to investigate alleged irregularities in the allocation of secondgeneration (2G) telec om spectrum and licences. Read Story 27 December 2010 | Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday wrote to the public acc ounts committee (PAC) probing alleged irregularities in the allocation of sec ond generation (2G) telecom spec trum, saying he was willing to appear before it. Read Story 24 December 2010 | Sleuths from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday questioned the former telecom minister over 2G spectrum allocation scandal, a move the government hopes will help ease a crippling political row with the Opposition. Read Story 22 December 2010 | The c ontroversy over the allocation of secondgeneration (2G) spectrum to telecom companies and the increased sc rutiny on loans given by state-run banks for the licences tied to this has dented the c onfidenc e of lenders. Read Story 21 December 2010 | Prime Minister Manmohan Singh resorted to a Roman analogy to defend himself from allegations of inaction relating to the ongoing sec ond-generation (2G) controversy but signalled, in a speech to his partymen at Burari in north-west Delhi, that his government, while pursuing punitive action against those found guilty of graft, would not give in to the oppositions demand for an investigation by a joint parliamentary c ommittee into irregularities in the 2008 alloc ation of spec trum and licences to telcos. Read Story 20 December 2010 | Quick Edit | A Roman in Delhi 15 December 2010 | In a crackdown here and in several places in Tamil Nadu in connec tion with the 2G spec trum scam, the CBI on Wednesday searc hed the offic e and residential premises of c orporate lobbyist Nira Radia, former Trai c hairman Pradip Baijal and a Chennai NGO with which DMK MP Kanimozhi is
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linked. Read Story 13 December 2010 | Parliament ended its paralyzed winter session Monday after four weeks that were largely devoid of work but filled with rauc ous Oppositions demands for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the 2G spectrum alloc ation scandal that c ost the country billions. Read Story 12 December 2010 | Edit | Telecoms golden goose 10 December 2010 | The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) knew of Niira Radias involvement in an alleged conspirac y as early as 16 November 2009 and was investigating the irregularities, the income-tax (I-T) department told the Supreme Court on Friday. Read Story 6 December 2010 | Controversial CVC P J Thomas appears to have got a breather with the Supreme Court on Monday issuing notic e to him on a plea seeking his removal from the key post which will now be heard on 27 January. Read Story 2 December 2010 | Government on Thursday plac ed before the Supreme Court in sealed c over recorded tapes containing the c onversations between c orporate lobbyist Niira Radia and others relating to the 2G spectrum allocation c ase. Read Story 30 November 2010 | The government is looking at how the Niira Radia tapes became public , after Ratan Tata, chairman of the Tata group that is represented by Radia, approached the Supreme Court to protect his privacy. Read Story 29 November 2010 | Tata group c hief Ratan Tata on Monday approached the Supreme Court seeking action against those involved in the leakage of tapes c ontaining his conversation with corporate lobbyist Nira Radia. Read Story 23 November 2010 | Terming Janata Party president Subramanian Swamys plea for prosecuting A Raja in the 2G spectrum case as misconceived and premature, government on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that the sanc tion had been sought even before a complaint was filed in a court. Read Story Prime Minister Manmohan Singh faced questions in the Supreme Court on Tuesday over his handling of an alleged multi-billion dollar telec om sc am as Parliament remained paralyzed over demands by the Opposition for a full probe. Read Story 22 November 2010 | With the entire opposition, some allies in the ruling c oalition and sec ond-rung leaders of the ruling Congress party rallying around for a joint parliamentary c ommittee (JPC) to investigate the alleged c orruption in the allotment of spectrum for second generation (2G) telec om services, the onus seems to be on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to break the deadloc k. Read Story Janata Party c hief Subramanian Swamy has accused the law ministry and government law offic ials of wrongly advising Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to wait for evidence before deciding on sanction to prosec ute former telec om minister A Raja in the 2G spectrum case. Read Story With the logjam continuing in Parliament over the opposition demand for a JPC
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probe into the 2G spectrum c ontroversy, Government has convened an allparty meeting this afternoon to end the deadloc k. Read Story 21 November 2010 | A political logjam that has stalled proc eedings in Parliament since the winter session started on 9 November is expec ted to persist, with the government rejecting Opposition demands for a parliamentary probe of alleged corruption in the allocation of sec ond generation (2G) mobile phone spec trum licences in 2008. Read Story Edit |Defending the indefensible 20 November 2010 | Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs office responded Saturday to the Supreme Courts hard line of questioning earlier this week by filing an 11-page affidavit in the 2G spectrum case. Read Story Union textiles minister Dayanidhi Maran on Saturday denied any wrongdoing in 2G spectrum alloc ation and its pricing during his tenure as telecom minister and alleged selec tive leaks of communication between him and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue. Read Story Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said any wrongdoers in a widening 2G scam, which is threatening his political survival, will be prosecuted. Read Story With the Opposition targeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his alleged inaction over corruption accusations, the ruling Congress party and the government may take an aggressive tac k to c ounter the allegations, as party leaders came out strongly in his defenc e. Read Story 19 November 2010 | The department of telecommunications (DoT) will not c anc el any of the telecom licences and spec trum given to operators in January 2008, for now, but is looking at ensuring that losses made due to alleged faulty proc edures prior to 2008 be rec tified as much as possible. Read Story Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has turned to Attorney General GE Vahanvati to represent him at the apex c ourt over why he failed to probe the 2G telecom scandal. Read Story 18 November 2010 | What is the 2G scam? Who is involved? What are the issues? Mint attempts a 360-degree view of the controversy that is rocking a nation. (Graphic s) The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to file by Saturday an affidavit on Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs alleged inac tion on a plea seeking sanc tion to prosecute ex-telec om minister A Raja in the 2G spec trum scam case, calling the matter extremly serious. Read story Indias fierc ely competitive mobile phone industry has been beset by a fresh wave of regulatory unc ertainty stemming from a possible probe into 2G spectrum that a government audit says was awarded too c heaply. Read Story 17 November 2010 | The Supreme Courts critic ism of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his inaction over a request for sanction to prosecute former telecom minister A Raja has helped rally opposition parties and could be the spark for a politic al c ampaign against the Congress party-led government. Read Story

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16 November 2010 | Parliament stalemate over the Opposition demand for a JPC probe into corruption charges c ontinues for fourth day. Read Story Striking a defiant note despite his indictment by the CAG over the 2G spectrum allocation, former telec om minister A Raja said he has not done anything wrong and was ready for a probe. Read Story The logjam over opposition demand for JPC probe into the 2G spectrum scam stalled proceedings in both Houses of Parliament for the fourth day on Tuesday even as government made efforts to break the impasse. Read Story 15 November 2010 | HRD minister Kapil Sibal was given the additional c harge of the telecom ministry by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a development that takes the portfolio away from DMK at least for the time being. Read Story Ruling out a statement by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Parliament on the resignation of telecom minister A Raja, the government said BJPs demand for a JPC probe into 2G spectrum issue was unacceptable and slammed the Opposition party for not allowing the Houses to function. Read Story Edit:An enforc ed exit in New Delhi 14 November 2010 | Yielding to relentless opposition pressure, Union telecom minister A Raja resigned 0in the wake of the 2G Spec trum alloc ation scam. Read Story The ruling Congress party appears determined that telecom minister A Raja, accused of corruption in the allotment of sec ond-generation (2G) mobile spectrum, be made to quit, although its reluctant to damage ties with alliance partner Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). Read Story 12 November 2010 | Prime Minister Manmohan Singh put the DMK on notice by not ruling out an alliance with the rival AIADMK. Read Story Undeterred by the mounting opposition attack on his role in 2G spectrum allocation, telec om minister A Raja on Friday ruled out resignation over the issue, saying he will prove that everything has been done ac cording to the law. Read Story 11 November 2010 | Parliament was rocked for the second day on Thursday with the Opposition demanding ouster of telecom minister A Raja and the Congress hitting bac k at the Sangh Parivar over anti-Sonia Gandhi remarks by former RSS chief K S Sudarshan. Read Story 10 November 2010 | Sourc es in the know say that the CAG has ac cused the telecom ministry for undervaluing 2G spectrum, sold to new players in 2008, and held that the allotment price was not realistic, which has c aused a revenue loss of up to Rs1.76 trillion to the government. Read Story 03 November 2010 | The telec om ministry has said that policy dec isions c annot be assailed as arbitrary while debunking government auditor CAGs reported assertion that 2G spectrum was allocated in an arbitrary manner c ausing a loss of Rs1.76 trillion to the exchequer. Read Story Edit :The cost of going easy on Raja
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29 October 2010 | The Supreme Court slammed Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for its slipshod investigations into the 2G spec trum allocation scam, in which the alleged role of telecom minister A Raja has come under the scanner, saying the same minister is still c ontinuing today. Read Story 17 October 2010 | The public audit body Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has indic ted the department of telecommunications (DoT), headed by c ommunications minister A Raja, for multiple violations of policy in handing out second generation (2G) mobile phone licences in January 2008, acc ording to fresh details that have emerged of its findings. Read Story 09 October 2010 | There was fresh trouble for telecom minister A Raja after the findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India submitted before the Supreme Court doubled the initial estimated losses to the exchequer in the 2G spectrum case to Rs.1.39 trillion. Read Story 08 October 2010 | The Supreme Court has asked the government to respond to the CAG report pointing out large-sc ale irregularities and favoritism allegedly by telecom minister A Raja in the Rs70,000 c rore 2G spec trum allocation scam in 2008. Read Story 9 August 2010 | Telecom minister A Raja has dismissed allegations of c orruption in allotment of 2G spec trum in 2008 saying the government followed the policies of previous NDA regime and the rec ommendations of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. Read Story Edit |Spectrum on the cheap 07 June 2010 | The finance ministry is bac king a rec ommendation to forc e telecom firms to pay more for the additional 2G spectrum they have, which would put it at odds with mobile service providers such as Bharti Airtel Ltd and Vodafone Essar Ltd. Read Story 01 June 2010 | Telec ommunications and information technology minister A Raja c ould lose his portfolio in a cabinet reshuffle that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to undertake in the run-up to Parliaments monsoon session that begins in July. Read Story 27 May 2010 | The Telec om Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has recommended that 2G spectrum on which mobile phones work at present should not be auctioned just as yet. Read Story 24 May 2010 | Mobile phone operators Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Essar, Idea have appealed to a telec om tribunal over the sector regulators proposals to slap new fees on second-generation spectrum. Read Story 12 May 2010 | The Telecom Regulatory Authority of Indias (Trai) plan to impose new fees for second-generation mobile spec trum in India sent shares skidding in carriers including Bharti Airtel, whic h called the proposal shocking, arbitrary and retrograde. Read Story 03 May 2010 | The auc tion price of high-speed third-generation (3G) airwaves for mobile telephony on Monday crossed the Rs1,651 crore mark in Mumbai and New Delhi the price at which new operators were given lic enc es nationally in January 2008, prompting estimates by some experts of a steep
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underpric ing and loss to the government in the allocation of 2G spec trum some years ago. Read Story 28 April 2010 | Fresh allegations of corruption relating to the issue of telecom licences were levelled by the Opposition against the Congress-led United Progressive Allianc e government in Parliament. Read Story The 2G telephony spectrum allocation issue created uproar in Parliament in the wake of reports that a high profile public relation lobbyist ac ted as a power broker and was in regular touch with telecom minister A Raja. Read Story 20 January 2010 | The department of telecommunic ations (DoT) may renege on its promise to allow winning bidders of high-frequency airwaves for mobile telephony to jump a two-year-old queue and get acc ess to lowfrequenc y airwaves ahead of 343 waiting applications. Read Story 23 November 2009 | The department of telecommunications is considering increasing the spectrum usage c harge paid by telec om operators by 1 perc entage point, ac cording to two DoT officials. Read Story 19 November 2009 | DoT, in its information memorandum, has said that the auction will be held starting on 14 January and that the government expects to raise a total of Rs35,000 crore from the sale. Read Story 23 October 2009 | Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee dec lined to comment on the CBI raids on the office of Department of Telecom (DoT) in c onnection with alleged irregularities in allocation of 2G spec trum to new players. Read Story 22 October 2009 | The CBI searched offic es of the Department of Telecom on Thursday in connec tion with alleged irregularities in allocation of 2G spectrum to some of the new players. Read Story 26 October 2009 | Desc ribing the 2G spectrum allocation controversy as the biggest scam in independent India, the BJP criticized PM for defending telecom minister A. Raja. Read Story 06 October 2009 | Auctions of third-generation (3G) telecom lic ences, which will allow phone companies to offer high-speed Internet and video downloads on handsets, may inc lude a bonus for operators of existing secondgeneration (2G) servic es that submit winning bids. Read Story 17 August 2009 | In what may be a blow to mobile phone operators, the finance ministry has asked the department of telecommunications (DoT) to ensure that no alloc ation of spectrum is made till a panels report on second generation (2G) spectrum is finalized. Read Story 06 August 2009 | The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has asked the government to keep in abeyance the grant of new second generation (2G) licences till the watchdog finalizes its rec ommendations, it said in a letter posted on its website. Read Story Pradip Baijals Essay | The last few years have shown that communications is the best investment for a c ountry and we should not shift resources from the telecom sector for funding unviable sectors of the Indian economy. Clic k here to read full article
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02 July 2009 | India should auc tion 2G spectrum and allow this to be traded rather than give holders of telecoms licences entitlement to the radio waves as is the current prac tice, the government said. Read Story 16 June 2009 | The promise of raising up to Rs40,000 crore in revenue from the auction of spec trum for third generation, or 3G, mobile services has prompted the department of telecommunications, or DoT, to put policy c hanges regarding second generation, or 2G, servic es on the bac kburner. Read Story 31 May 2009 | In its reply to a petition submitted before the Delhi high c ourt, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has defended the governments move to allot spec trum with licence to new entrants on a firstc ome, first-served basis, saying that this would ensure a level playing field. Read Story 28 November 2008 | In the midst of a controversy over allotment of spectrum to new players, telec om regulator Trai today said that market forc es should have determined the pric e of a licence, which includes start-up spectrum. Read Story 12 November 2008 | The ministerial panel was created by the DoT to look at a fair model of c harging firms offering 3G services and ways to segregate revenue from 2G and 3G servic es. Read Story 04 November 2008 | Is the telec om ministry opposing 2G spectrum auction because that would require transparency? Read Story 03 November 2008 | A parliamentary panel has called a meeting on 14 November to disc uss spectrum allocation for 2G mobile services and the launc h of 3G servic es in the country. Read Story Edit | A sad tale of half-truths 13 October 2008 | GSM operators group COAI strongly supported DoT proposal to have separate revenues for 2G and 3G services, adding that this model will also speed up 3G roll-out in the country. Read Story Views | Auctions ahoy 25 October 2007 | The government has ruled out the possibility of auctioning 2G or so-called sec ond generation spectrum for mobile services, even as it looks at the process of implementation of mobile number portability across the c ountry. Read Story

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