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The Public Accounts Committee of Parliament has decided to examine the allocation of 2G and 3G spectrum allocations yet again.
The panel, which met here on Wednesday, added “Recent Development in the Telecom Sector including allocation of 2G and 3G Spectrum” in its agenda for the upcoming year.
A seven-member sub committee, headed by Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Satyavrata Chaturvedi, will look into the matter. A source in the panel told BusinessLine that the draft report on the 2G, prepared earlier by the panel when Murli Manohar Joshi was its Chairman, will be circulated to the members.
Also, a CAG report on the Communication and IT sector, tabled in May, will also be scrutinised by the panel. The report had criticised the government for giving undue favours to CDMA operators during the 3G allocations.
The member said issues such as call drops can also be taken up by the panel during the consideration of these three reports. “It has almost been four years since the draft report on 2G was prepared. The sector has changed a lot. Consideration of these two reports would help us take a better view on issues such as call drops,” the member added.
The draft report on 2G could not be adopted as Congress members in the panel, when they were a majority, opposed certain references against the Prime Minister’s Office and the Finance Ministry in it. This time, the Congress has just four members in the 22-member panel.
New report soonBy linking the 2G and 3G reports, the PAC Chairman, veteran Congress leader KV Thomas, could also ensure that the draft report on 2G issue can be changed by the panel. “This will be a new report now, with details on the 3G allocations and such issues too,” another member said.
The panel will also hear from the CAG, Telecom Ministry, other ministries and telecom companies while preparing the new report. Chaturvedi-led panel will prepare the list of companies, individuals and organisations who have to be summoned before the panel. A public notice will also be issued inviting suggestions.
The BJP members in the panel had demanded earlier that the 2G report will have to be reconsidered. Thomas had a meeting with Joshi on the issue earlier.
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