BSNL told to stop mega GSM line tender: Report

NEW DELHI, INDIA: India's Central Vigilance Commission has asked state-run telecoms Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd to stop an ongoing tender for 93-million GSM lines, part of which was to go to Ericsson and Huawei, the Hindu Business Line newspaper reported on Monday.

The paper, citing anonymous sources, said the Commission had been investigating whether BSNL had followed rules during the tender process.

BSNL might have to call for fresh bids, though a final decision has not yet been taken, the paper said, citing unnamed sources.

BSNL Chairman Kuldeep Goyal could not be reached immediately for comments.

Last November, Goyal said BSNL had ordered 8 million 2G GSM lines from Chinese network-gear maker Huawei and that price negotiations were on with Swedish firm Ericsson, which had been shortlisted for providing some lines.