Top telecom bosses, including Bharti Airtel chief Sunil Mittal, Vodafone chief executive Vittorio Colao and Idea Cellular chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla met senior Union ministers and government officials on Wednesday to oppose Trai’s recommendations on 2G spectrum auction, including setting a high reserve price.
Mr Mittal hit out at Trai, saying its recommendations were 'flawed' and would 'destroy' the telecom
industry.
“We are trying to present a factsheet. We are trying to show Trai’s inconstancies. It has made three recommendations in the last 18 months, and they are at variance. What makes us believe the new one is correct? We believe it is completely flawed. It is illogical,” said Mr Mittal.
Perhaps Trai “arrives at a decision, and then fill up the logic”, he alleged. Telenor president and CEO Jon Fredrik Baksaas said the objective of the meeting was to bring to the government’s attention the 'disastrous' impact of Trai’s recommendations on the ability to continue operations.
Telenor says in its view the auction recommendations are not in line with the Supreme Court’s orders. “It is the government alone that carries political responsibility, and therefore the final say on policy,” said Mr Baksaas.
The telecom honchos met senior ministers Pranab Mukherjee, P. Chidambaram and Kapil Sibal, Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and some senior officials at the PMO and the commerce ministry.