The Supreme Court verdict cancelling the 122 telecom licences issued by former communications minister A Raja is one more indictment of the Manmohan Singh-led UPA-2 government, which has been reeling under the 2G spectrum scam for nearly two years and has still not heard the end of it. There is no doubt that the government’s coffers will benefit by this judgment as the court has asked telecom regulator TRAI to make fresh recommendations on grant of licences and the government should take a decision on this within a month. This is a windfall for the government at a time when it is struggling to meet its fiscal deficit target, as it could earn even more than the Rs 1 lakh crore that it got from the auction of 3G licences because the spectrum to be auctioned is much more.
In the case of 2G, licences were also given to those who were in no way connected with the telecom industry but had the political clout to wangle a licence and then sell it for ten times what they paid. Many foreign telecom operators have been caught on the wrong foot in this as they bought their licences from such entities. As this unprecedented judgment becomes public and is analysed and digested, one thing is certain: that this government will have to think ten times before throwing procedure and policy to the wind in favour of cronies and at the cost of the nation.
Deccan Chronicle, February 3
