Not possible to predict 2G losses: TRAI
September 6th, 2011 - 10:30 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, Sep 6 (IANS) Sticking to its stand that it was impossible to quantify the loss to the exchequer on spectrum allocation between between 2001 and 2008, India’s telecom regulator Tuesday said it had asked experts to get estimates but they were unable to calculate it.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an industry event, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chairman J.S. Sarma said the regulator was asked by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to get the estimates of value of spectrum between the year 2001 to 2008 year-wise.
“We had asked the experts to do it. This is the expert’s report,” said Sarma, on the expert committee not being able to conclude an estimated amount as they feared a risk of error in the estimates.
In a letter to the CBI last month, TRAI secretary R.K. Arnold said: “The committee has stated that it is not possible to predict with certainty the precise values of spectrum that would have emerged in an auction. It has also stated that the risk of error in the estimates increases since the exercise is carried out retrospectively and with meagre data.”
The CBI, in its charge-sheet, had mentioned a loss of around Rs.30,000 crore to the exchequer due to the allocation of 2G licenses.
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has mentioned a notional loss of Rs.1.76 lakh crore due to then communications minister A. Raja’s decision to allocate spectrum on a first-come-first-served basis instead of through an auction.
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Tags: arnold, cbi, central bureau of investigation, comptroller and auditor general, comptroller and auditor general of india, crore, estimates, expert committee, first come first served basis, New Delhi, precise values, raja, rs 1, sarma, sidelines, spectrum allocation, telecom regulator, telecom regulatory authority, telecom regulatory authority of india, year 2001