SC questions govt on panel for allocation of spectrum
In the wake of the 2G fiasco, the Supreme Court on Friday asked the government whether it has put in place a committee of experts as recommended by the Trai for allocation of spectrum as the Centre is now talking about allocating of 4G spectrum licences.
The query came from a special bench monitoring the 2G probe while hearing Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy’s plea for CBI probe against home minister P. Chidambaram for his alleged role in “fixing” 2G price as finance minister in the UPA-I along with then communications minister A. Raja, a key accused in the 2G scam case.
The top court also asked if the committee had been put in place what was its functional progress so far as the 2G episode had happened in 2007-08 and “we are now in 2012.”
“Whether the Trai recommendation that a committee be set up for allocation of spectrum, forget about 2G licences, there was allocation of 3G and now they are talking about allocation of 4G, has the committee been constituted and if constituted how many times it has met and what is the progress of its functioning,” the bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and K.S. Radhakrishnan asked. However, a response to it is yet to come form the government counsel, who chose to remained “silent” but Mr Swamy said “the committee has though been set up but to my knowledge it has only met once.”
The query came amidst Mr Swamy’s argument challenging 2G scam case special judge O.P. Saini’s order rejecting his application for the CBI probe against Mr Chidambaram.
Mr Swamy said the special judge though had stated in his order that there were documentary proof that Mr Chidamabaram had taken a joint decision with Raja on fixing of the 2G spectrum price but the trial judge “failed” to give finding on the question of law whether the then finance minister’s action was covered under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
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