No decision to push 3G auction to next fiscal: Raja

NEW DELHI, INDIA: The government has not taken any decision to push 3G auctions to next fiscal year as per A Raja, Union Minister for IT and Communications and he has termed the statement of Dr.M Veerappa Moily, Union Minister for Law and Justice, as the minister’s view on the issue of spectrum auction.

“The decision has to be collectively taken by Empowered Group of Ministers. Whatever the Law Minister has said as mentioned in media report that auction should be held only when the spectrum is available, may be his view. There is no such decision by eGoM to delay auction,” conveyed Raja, who is in Chennai, through his staff to CIOL.

However, the continuous delay in the procedure for 3G auction shows that the government will not be able to hold 3G auctions in this financial year.

Department of Telecom has not yet come out with clarifications that telecom companies has sought with respect to the memorandum on 3G auction issued by the department on October 23, last year. On the other hand, Notice Inviting Application (NIA) has gone to law ministry for review of new set clauses induced in it.

According to Raja this NIA, after delay, was scheduled to be issued by January 22, 2010 but till date there is no clear indication from the ministry on the date for NIA.