The CBI, which is probing possible criminal aspects in the allotment of spectrum licenses since 2001, has collected details of certain correspondence between the finance ministry and the telecom ministry on the issue of “spectrum pricing” during the tenure of former communication minister Dayanidhi Maran.
The agency is probing the allegation that DoT ignored suggestions made by the department of economic affairs (DEA) over spectrum pricing during Mr Maran’s tenure, sources said. The CBI officials recently visited DoT office and collected all relevant documents in this regard, sources added.
“The CBI is also probing the allegation that the DoT did not discuss the issue of determining the entry fee for telecom licence with the finance ministry during Maran’s tenure. The agency is planning to question some DoT officials also in this regard,” sources said.
All important documents related to spectrum pricing and suggestions given by the DEA during Mr Maran’s tenure are being collected from the DoT, sources said. The agency has also started scrutiny of those documents which have already been collected from the DoT in this connection, sources added. Besides, the agency sleuths are also analysing observations made by the Justice Shivaraj V. Patil Committee, constituted to examine the appropriateness of the telecom policies and allocation of spectrum from 2001 to 2009, in its report. The Justice Patil Committee report said, “In 2006, Mr Maran superseded all earlier orders relating to subscriber-based criteria for allotment of GSM spectrum and for CDMA operators.” This allegation is also being probed by the CBI, sources said.
“The CBI officials are in touch with the officials of the union ministry of corporate affairs. Applications of certain telecom companies, which had applied for spectrum licences during Mr Maran’s tenure, are being scrutinised by the CBI officials,” sources said.
There are allegations that certain telecom companies transferred their equity to other firms even after filling applications for the spectrum licences in 2006, sources added.