Raja told PM about 2G policy without file work

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Former telecom minister A. Raja informed the Prime Minister about the licence distribution policy without mentioning some of the related issues in the department of telecommunications (DoT) files, a witness told a Delhi court on Wednesday.

DoT official A.K. Srivastava told the special court: "The communication dated Dec 26, 2007, was sent by A. Raja to the prime minister at his level. The issues involved were neither examined nor processed in the DoT files."

Srivastava, who retired as deputy director general (AS) from the DoT, deposed as a prosecution witness before Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge O.P. Saini hearing the 2G spectrum allocation case.

Raja in his letter to the prime minister had given details about the procedures to be adopted for the distribution of the letters of intent (LoIs) to the companies and the first come, first served policy, he said.

"The decision-making power of the union minister is beyond me to question. Therefore, as per the instructions given to me in the meeting, held in the chamber of Raja on Jan 7, 2008, where I was asked to adopt the communication,...I complied with the instructions."

According to the government auditor, Raja was biased while distributing second generation (2G) mobile airwaves and operating licences to telecom firms, causing a loss of up to Rs.1.76 lakh crore in revenue to the treasury.

Including Raja and Behura, 19 individuals and six companies were accused in two separate cases related to the allotment of 2G spectrum.