2G scam: Govt mulls notices to 85 telcos

2G scam: Govt  mulls notices to 85 telcos
PTI
NEW DELHI, NOV 29
Telecom minister Kapil Sibal on Monday said notices will be served on all firms that suppressed facts to buy licences and airwaves for mobile phone services in the country and had fallen short of their roll-out obligations.
He also assured a thorough probe to see if they had manipulated the self-certification process about their financial strength and their main business – as specified in their memorandum of association – to get licences for telephone services.
“It is time we issued notices to these companies. There are in all 85 such cases”, Sibal said in his first official press conference after he was given the additional charge of communications portfolio, following the resignation of his predecessor A Raja.
“These are matters of controversies. We are referring the matter to the ministry of corporate affairs to see whether there were any front companies involved. So, we will take action accordingly”, he said.
His reference was also to the award of second generation (2G) spectrum and licences to nine new firms, most of which had no prior experience in the telecom services industry, in January 2008 – a controversial matter that forced DMK’s A Raja to resign on November 5.
“On the basis of self-certification, companies may have jumped the queue, they may have got licenses on first-cum-first-served basis. Those who may have come late could have complied with the eligibility conditions, but could not get licences”,
Sibal said if he went beyond the licences issued to these nine companies, there were 119 cases in all since 2006, where roll-out obligations were not met as per the terms and conditions that were agreed upon.
“We will study each case separately. We will, in the next few weeks, issue showcause notices on why their licences should not be cancelled. Companies will be given 60 days to respond”.