Reacting to the 2G scam verdict pronounced on Thursday, Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha said that the Congress party was responsible for the loss of revenue to the exchequer. “In the context of today’s judgment, Congress party using trickery was completely wrong," Sinha adding that the government lost revenue and first come, first serve policy was changed to first come first pay which was arbitrary and full of corruption.
Sinha added that spectrum was sold at a price of 2001 in 2008, and the Indian government will only take a decision on cancelled 122 licences after a standby investigating agency in the matter.
Former telecom minister A. Raja and DMK leader MK Kanimozhi were acquitted by a special court in the 2G spectrum scam case on Thursday. The Special CBI Court also acquitted 12 others, including then telecom secretary Sidhharth Behura and Raja’s personal assistant RK Chandolia for helping the minister in handing out the licences.
Special CBI Court judge OP Saini, who had on December 5 fixed Dec 21 for the verdict in the 2G spectrum allocation scam; today said that the opposition failed miserably to provide evidence. He was hearing three cases related to the 2G spectrum scam— one filed by the ED and two by the CBI.
One of the key accused, A Raja, who was the telecom minister when the spectrum was alloted on a first come, first serve basis, said, “I am very happy with this but will later come down heavily on all the wrong that has been done."
Manoj Sinha told reporters that allocation of airwaves in 2008 was wrong and trial court’s order is up to the investigating agency to look into it.
He added that the revenue received by the government after 2012 was higher if compared to auctions previously. According to him, the government received Rs 109,874 crore in March 2015, and Rs 65,789 crore in October 2016 for 965 MHz spectrum. "Spectrum scarcity had become a thing of past after two auctions under the NDA regime, and added that the process was transparent with no complaint reported," he said.
