PAC will act on CAG report: Dy CAG

Report indicts communication minister; gives clean chit to rest

samirsachdeva

Samir Sachdeva | November 16, 2010



The deputy comptroller and auditor general (CAG)  Rekha Gupta on Monday stated that the CAG audit report on issuance and allocation of 2G spectrum has been tabled in the Parliament and any further action on the same rests with the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament.  Gupta was speaking in a press briefing on the highlights of CAG audit report on issuance and allocation of 2G spectrum.

The report gives a clean chit to the prime minister, minister of law and justice, finance secretary, telecom secretary and member (finance) of telecom commission highlighting that they were not in favour of hasty allotment of licenses without revision of spectrum prices. However the report is silent on in-action of all above.

The report calculates presumptive loss to the exchequer through four methods. On basis of the rates of 3G auction the loss is estimated at 1.76 lakh crores. The loss on basis of sale of equity by the new licenses is estimated at .69 lakh crore (in case of Unitech) and .57 crore (in case of Swan). The loss in case of proposed offer by S Tel is estimated at .67 lakh crore.

R P Singh, director general, CAG in a presentation stated that department of telecom overlooked the suggestions of ministry of finance, ministry of law and justice and the prime minister. He also highlighted that the opinion of attorney general was felt to be out of context at the level of minister of communication and IT.

The CAG report highlights that even the first come first served (FCFS) policy was deviated and the issue of letters of intent was restricted to applications receipt upto September 25, 2007. The report also highlights that 85 out of 122 licenses issued in 2008 were to the ineligible companies.

 

Comments

 

Other News

‘MAGA’ + ‘MIGA’ = ‘MEGA’ partnership for prosperity: Modi

Prime minister Narendra Modi has linked the dream of a Viksit Bharat with US president Donald Trump’s slogan, ‘Make America Great Again’, or ‘MAGA’, saying that when these two democracies work together, i.e. ‘MAGA’ plus ‘Make India Great Again’ (‘

ONOE: Anti-federalism or pro-reform?

The government`s move to implement ‘One Nation, One Election’ (ONOE) has ignited widespread debate. On one hand, it offers tangible benefits, such as removing the possibility of a governance paralysis and reducing election costs. On the other hand, the opposition and sections of civil society s

PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana completes first year

On February 13, 2025, the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSGMBY) will mark its first anniversary, celebrating a year of empowering households with affordable solar energy and accelerating India’s transition to a sustainable future. Launched by prime minister Narendra Modi on Febru

How to leverage AI to solve urgent global issues

The world seems to be hurling towards World War III in all the possible scenarios: hot war, cold war, and proxy war. The battleground seems to have expanded beyond physical to digital or virtual/mixed reality with technology like drones. Moreover, the line between civilian and military targets seems to hav

Budget: Progress towards SDGs and areas for improvement

The Union Budget 2025-26 outlines India`s vision for economic and social growth while also reflecting the country`s commitment to sustainable development. As India moves closer to the 2030 deadline for the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this budget presents a balanced approach

Repo rate cut by 25 basis points to 6.25%

The Reserve Bank of India has, for the first time in five years, reduced the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25 basis points to 6.25% with immediate effect. Consequently, the standing deposit facility (SDF) rate will stand adjusted to 6.00% and the marginal

Visionary Talk: Amitabh Gupta, Pune Police Commissioner with Kailashnath Adhikari, MD, Governance Now



Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter