The Government today said that it is yet to decide on the date of the meeting of Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) to discuss the base price of spectrum, but hoped that it would be finalised shortly.

“No date has been decided of EGoM as of yet, will be decided shortly and pricing will be discussed there,” the Union Home Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, told reporters here.

The high-powered panel, headed by the Finance Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, had finalised broad modalities for the spectrum auction, including the schedule and the quantum of airwaves to be sold at its meeting held earlier this month.

The panel, however, put off the decision on a base price for spectrum to be auctioned.

It has been necessitated by the Supreme Court’s cancelling 122 2G licences, given to telecom operators in 2008 by the then minister, Mr A. Raja.

The apex court had asked the Government to auction the spectrum by August 31.

While the process will be initiated from August 6 with the issuance of Information Memorandum, other matters like pricing and roll-out obligations are yet to be finalised by the high-powered panel.

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