NGO files petition in SC; demands CBI probe into excess spectrum allocation
20 Feb 2012
Telecom Watchdog, a non-government organisation on Saturday filed a petition in the Supreme Court demanding probe by a central agency into the allocation of excess spectrum to existing operators.
Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, who was one among the key members of the anti-corruption movement that rocked national politics last year, filed the petition on behalf of the New Delhi-based NGO.
In the petition, Bhushan said the allocation of excess spectrum to existing operators was in violation of norms.
Such an allocation would cause a huge loss to the national
exchequer, he said in the petition, while demanding a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the matter.
Top telecom companies, including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Essar, Reliance Telecom, Idea Cellular, Loop Mobile, Spice Communications and Aircel Cellular, are respondents in this petition.
The petition alleges that these companied have received spectrum in addition to the contractual entitlement and that too, without paying any entry fee.
Many of the operators got 2x10 MHz spectrum years before the announcement of allocation criteria, the petition alleged.
"This way the centre has caused a substantial loss to the exchequer to provide benefit to the private operators," it said.
The petition, which was filed through Bhushan on Saturday, seeks transfer of a writ petition, which was pending before the Delhi High Court.
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