Did UPA threaten top bureaucrat on spectrum?

Manmohan Singh had warned of ‘harm' if he didn't cooperate in the 2G case, says Baijal

GN Staff | May 26, 2015


#spectrum   #paper   #mishap BJP   #explanation  

The allegations are serious and throw light on the kind of pushing and pulling as bureaucrat faces. Former Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chairman Pradip Baijal has made expolsoive claims on telecom scam, in his book. Baijal has alleged that the former prime minister Manmohan Singh warned him of “harm” if he didn't cooperate in the 2G case.

He also said that in 2009 the UPA government took wrong decisions under some pressure, but later put the blame on bureaucrats.

According to Baijal then telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran compelled him not to implement NDA government's cabinet decision on Unified Service Licensing.

Baijal was TRAI chief between March 2003 and March 2006. He had pushed for unified licensing, under which an operator can offer telecom and broadcasting services on a single licence and next generation networks that would bring down the network costs significantly.

Detailing the spectrum scam, Baijal claimed he had ordered TRAI to give preference to Unified Access Service Licence during spectrum auction. But Maran suggested otherwise. Yet TRAI in 2005 did as directed by the NDA government. However, Maran till 2007 took no decision. This was a major reason leading to 2G Spectrum scam.

Baijal also said that ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh had wanted him to follow the directions Maran.

Baijal was interrogated by the CBI for his role in the 2G spectrum allocation scam, but was not charged.

Meanwhile, the BJP has demanded an explanation from Manmohan Singh on the charges leveled by Baijal.

Union environment and forest minister Prakash Javedekar who was in Coimbatore on Tuesday to inaugurate Isha Yoga Centre's tree planting programme said the Pradip Baijal's revelation that even the then PM had told him to work as per the "design" has proved that the 2G spectrum scam was a collective scam of UPA. "Therefore the Congress has to explain about Baijal's revelation. The Prime Minister also has to explain," Javedekar said.

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