New Delhi: The Cabinet on Thursday approved a 30 per cent cut in the reserve price for sale of mobile phone spectrum in four zones that went unsold in the recent damp-squib auction. Airwaves in Delhi, Mumbai, Karnataka and Rajasthan found no takers in the previous auction as bidders found the prices too high. Subsequently, a ministerial panel recommended a 30 per cent cut in the base or reserve price...
09:07 PM, Dec 13, 2012
New Delhi: The government is likely to discuss on Thursday recommendations made by the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on pricing of spectrum that was unsold in the recently concluded auction. The matter has been listed for discussion in the Cabinet meeting slated for Thursday evening, official sources said. The EGoM on telecom matters, headed by Finance Minister P Chidambaram, is learnt to have recommended a 30 per cent cut...
01:21 AM, Dec 13, 2012
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has dismissed Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy's petition for review of its verdict clearing Finance Minister P Chidambaram of all charges in the 2G spectrum allocation scam. The apex court said the decision does not "warrant any reconsideration." "We have perused the averments contained in the review petition and have gone through the record of Special Leave Petition and are satisfied that order dated August...
08:06 PM, Dec 11, 2012
New Delhi: A former top Department of Telecom official on Tuesday told a Delhi court trying the 2G case that four counters were set up for distribution of letters of intent to eligible telecom firms on January 10, 2008 as only four directors were available in the Access Service Cell of the department. Deposing as a prosecution witness in the case, DoT's erstwhile Member (Technology) K Sridhara said the large...
08:03 PM, Dec 11, 2012
New Delhi: A former senior official of the Department of Telecom on Monday told a Delhi court trying the 2G case that erstwhile Telecom Minister A Raja had "not consulted" him during preparation of the letter sent to the Prime Minister on December 26, 2007. "I have been shown letter dated December 26, 2007.... written by the then Minister to the Prime Minister. As member (Technology), I was not consulted...
08:32 PM, Dec 10, 2012
New Delhi: The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) headed by Finance Minister P Chidambaram has decided to hold fresh auctions for 2G spectrum by March 31, 2013. The EGoM has also decided to lower the base price by 30 per cent for 2G spectrum in four circles that remained unsold in last auction, a suggestion that could fetch Rs 6,200 crore to exchequer. The four circles, Delhi, Mumbai, Karnataka and...
06:29 AM, Dec 08, 2012
New Delhi: Former corporate lobbyist Nira Radia, a prosecution witness in the 2G spectrum scam case was expected to depose before a Delhi court this week. However, that may not happen. Sources told CNN-IBN that Radia's lawyers are likely to move court and seek exemption on medical grounds. Radia's lawyers are likely to argue that as Radia underwent a surgery recently, it would not be possible for her to attend...
09:52 AM, Dec 04, 2012
New Delhi: The Empowered Group of Ministers on telecom, headed by Finance Minister P Chidambaram, will meet on November 29 in the backdrop of lukewarm response to recently concluded 2G spectrum auction. "Its (EGoM meeting) happening on Thursday," Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters on sidelines of meeting with stakeholders to discuss proposal for World Conference on International Telecommunications starting December 3 in Dubai. This will be first EGoM meeting...
02:59 AM, Nov 28, 2012
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday hit out at the Congress after former CAG official RP Singh did a volte-face on his claims on the national auditor's 2G report, saying the ruling party is in the habit of damning and denigrating institutions whenever it stands embarrassed. "This has become the habit of Congress party. Whenever it embarrasses them or whenever they are in trouble, they try to...
09:03 PM, Nov 26, 2012
New Delhi: A PMO official on Monday identified in a Delhi court the letters exchanged between erstwhile Telecom Minister A Raja and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in November-December 2007 on the issue of 2G spectrum allocation. Deposing in the court as a CBI witness, Pushpendra Kumar Sharma, a section officer in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), identified the letters written by Raja, the key accused in the 2G case, to...
06:05 PM, Nov 26, 2012
New Delhi: In wake of former CAG official RP Singh claiming his comments on PAC chairman Murli Manohar Joshi on the 2G issue were misquoted, BJP on Monday asked Congress president Sonia Gandhi to retract her statement in which she had attacked the main Opposition party. "In light of what RP Singh has stated, the BJP would like to know from Sonia Gandhiji would she retract her comment almost condemning...
01:40 PM, Nov 26, 2012
New Delhi: The UPA seems to have played the 2G card ahead of the all-party meet to resolve the parliament deadlock on FDI. Congress ally DMK has given a notice for a discussion under rule 193 on the CAG report on 2G Scam in the Lok Sabha. The notice comes after ex-CAG audit officer RP Singh claimed the report was influenced by BJP leader and Public Accounts Committee Chairman Murli...
10:23 AM, Nov 26, 2012
Former Director General of Audit, Post and Telecommunications, CAG, RP Singh on Saturday kept the controversy alive on his earlier claim that Public Accounts Committee Chairman and BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi had influenced the 2G report that indicted the government. Speaking to Karan Thapar on Devil's Advocate, the ex-audit officer said that he had been misquoted by the newspaper which had initially carried the report. Below is the full...
08:40 PM, Nov 25, 2012
RP Singh has again shifted his stance on the 2G report suggesting it was PAC Chairman Manohar manohar Joshi who had interfered in the preparation of the report. ...
04:09 PM, Nov 25, 2012
Former Director General of Audit, Post and Telecommunications, CAG, RP Singh on Saturday made a U-turn on his earlier claim that Public Accounts Committee Chairman and BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi had influenced the 2G report that indicted the government. Speaking to Karan Thapar on Devil's Advocate, the ex-audit officer said that he had been misquoted by the newspaper which had initially carried the report. Below is the transcript of...
07:18 AM, Nov 25, 2012
The UPA has launched a counter-attack on the CAG after one of its former officers claimed that the 2G loss figure was manipulated under the influence of PAC Chief and BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi. ...
03:46 PM, Nov 24, 2012
The UPA has launched a counter-attack on the CAG after a former auditor claimed the 2G loss figures were manipulated under guidance from PAC chief and BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi. ...
02:50 PM, Nov 24, 2012
New Delhi: The ruling-coalition UPA's key constituent, the DMK will move a motion in Parliament for a discussion on the charges levelled by ex-CAG audit officer RP Singh against BJP leader and Public Accounts Committee Chairman Murli Manohar Joshi, government sources say. The government is understood to be in favour of a discussion over the charge by the former Director General, Post and Telecommunications, CAG, that Joshi had called audit...
09:13 AM, Nov 24, 2012
New Delhi: A war of words is on between the Congress and the BJP over the CAG report on 2G spectrum loss. A day after lead auditor RP Singh questioned the Rs 1.76 lakh crore presumptive loss figure, accusing PAC Chairman Murli Manohar Joshi, of influencing the 2G report, the accusation was strongly refuted by Joshi. Principal Auditor RP Singh said, "The report isn't mine.. I just signed it." Then...
09:29 PM, Nov 23, 2012
New Delhi: A seemingly calm and composed Murli Manohar Joshi, senior BJP leader and PAC Chairman, on Friday demanded that UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi apologise for her remark against his party over the latest row over the CAG's 2G report. Speaking to CNN-IBN, Joshi said that he would quit PAC if ex-CAG principal audit officer's charges against him, that he had influenced the 2G report, were proved. Below is the...
08:49 PM, Nov 23, 2012
