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BJP urges probe into spectrum allocation

NEW DELHI: After the Communist Party of India (Marxist) objected to the manner in which spectrum was allocated to mobile companies, the Bharatiya Janata Party too has alleged foul-play and demanded a full-scale probe.

Party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said on Tuesday that it was common knowledge some companies purchased spectrum for Rs.1,800 crore and in a matter of days sold it for seven times that amount. Spectrum should have been auctioned to get the best price.

If the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India or the Prime Minister had given any specific instruction on how spectrum was to be allocated, those letters or documents must be made public, Mr. Javadekar said. His charge was that after talking about auction the government changed its mind and sold spectrum at old rates rather than apply the current market rates.

The BJP spokesperson also criticised the “handling, or non-handling” of the impact of the global economic crisis. He demanded a round-table conference of economists, industry representatives, politicians from all parties and other experts to discuss the steps needed to be taken to boost investor confidence and market stabilisation.

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BJP urges probe into spectrum allocation

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