ওয়াশিংটন বাংলা রেডিও Washington Bangla Radio USA

New Delhi, Feb 2 (IBNS): Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal on Thursday met with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after the Supreme Court scrapped 2G spectrum licences of 122 mobile networks granted during the tenure of A Raja as the telecom minister since early 2008 in a historic verdict.

Meanwhile, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has reportedly said that the government will examine the 'implication' of the judgement that was given by the apex court.

J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted: "I guess I should be happy I stuck to Airtel and didn't go get Idea."

In another verdict it said the trial court hearing the 2G spectrum scam will decide if P Chidambaram would be made co-accused in the case. 

The apex court said the Telecom Regulatory Authority in India (TRAI) must ensure issuance of fresh issue of licences.

The court gave four months to cancel the licences and issue fresh ones by auction.

The Court also asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the federal investigating agency, to submit their status report regularly to the Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC). 

The scandal over the alleged allocation of telecoms licences at below-market prices, which could have lost the treasury up to Rs 1.76 lakh crore, according to the government’s auditor, has already impaired the Congress-led coalition government in India.

The 122 zonal licences were issued in the 2008 to 85 firms, including the local units of Telenor and Etisalat, that were said by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to be fouled up.