The Hindu Business Line : Explain roaming deal with Swan Telecom, BSNL told

New Delhi, Dec. 16 The Department of Telecom has asked Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd to explain why it had got into an agreement with Swan Telecom for roaming services even though the PSU had never done similar deals with other private operators.

The clarification has been sought after the Prime Minister’s Office asked DoT to look into allegations of BSNL playing favourites.

DoT has also asked the Wireless and Planning Coordination wing to examine the allegations that two senior officials were transferred for refusing to give spectrum to Swan Telecom.

DoT has given 7 days time for both BSNL and WPC to give their replies.

MP levels charges

The PMO had asked DoT to respond to allegations made by Mr Dharampal Sabharwal, Member of Parliament. Mr Sabharwal had written a letter to the Prime Minister alleging that there were irregularities in allocating spectrum to Swan Telecom.

Swan Telecom had recently got into a roaming agreement with State-owned BSNL, which will allow the private company to use the State-owned firm’s national network to offer mobile services.

While Swan will pay a fee to BSNL for using the network, concerns have been raised since BSNL has so far refused to open up its network to any private telecom companies for roaming agreements.

“BSNL which has never done any roaming agreement with any operator was forced to do a roaming agreement with Swan Telecom. The same favour was not extended to any other operator. I am told that the policy was made by BSNL only to suit Swan Telecom,” said a letter to the Prime Minister from Mr Sabharwal.

The MP, in his letter sent on November 6, said that two DoT officers were transferred from the Wireless Planning and Coordination wing when they refused to allocate spectrum to Swan Telecom. “Once these officers were transferred, spectrum was allotted to Swan Telecom for Delhi,” the letter said.

The same MP had earlier written to the Central Vigilance Commission seeking an enquiry into alleged irregularities in revenue reporting by Reliance Communications.

Swan was owned by Reliance Communications when it applied for licence.

However, RCom has since maintained that it had sold off majority of its equity shares in the company to Dynamix Balwas Group, which is a real estate firm based in Mumbai.

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