The
telecom department is considering all options available to it, including
approaching the Supreme Court, to pre-empt any telecom operator from
stalling the auction of airwaves that is due to begin on March 4.
"We have sought opinion from the ministry of law and justice over the matter and we want to ensure the auctions don't get pushed further," a senior telecom department official told ET. According to the procedure announced by the government, operators have to file their applications by February 16 to participate in the auction.
The DoT's move comes in the wake of telecom operators going to various courts across the country and the telecom tribunal, seeking a postponement of the auction for what they called anomalies in the auction rules.
The government is hoping to raise at least Rs 80,000 crore from the sale of spectrum for second and third-generation services and is banking heavily on this expected revenue to keep its fiscal deficit under control. Any delay in the sale could derail the plans.
According to industry sources, however, more legal headaches could be in store for the telecom department as some operators are considering filing further petitions over what they called the 'interference' they are facing from across the border in the 3G spectrum held by them.
"Operators could ask the telecom department to provide them free and cleaner 3G spectrum, implying replacement of their existing holding before it goes ahead and auctions the new 3G spots," a senior telecom industry executive said.
"We have sought opinion from the ministry of law and justice over the matter and we want to ensure the auctions don't get pushed further," a senior telecom department official told ET. According to the procedure announced by the government, operators have to file their applications by February 16 to participate in the auction.
The DoT's move comes in the wake of telecom operators going to various courts across the country and the telecom tribunal, seeking a postponement of the auction for what they called anomalies in the auction rules.
The government is hoping to raise at least Rs 80,000 crore from the sale of spectrum for second and third-generation services and is banking heavily on this expected revenue to keep its fiscal deficit under control. Any delay in the sale could derail the plans.
According to industry sources, however, more legal headaches could be in store for the telecom department as some operators are considering filing further petitions over what they called the 'interference' they are facing from across the border in the 3G spectrum held by them.
"Operators could ask the telecom department to provide them free and cleaner 3G spectrum, implying replacement of their existing holding before it goes ahead and auctions the new 3G spots," a senior telecom industry executive said.
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