SC takes govt to task on 2G
21 Nov 2012 4:43 AM IST
The Supreme Court’s bashing of the central government for taking the 2G spectrum auction case and its controversial aftermath in a casual manner has come at an appropriate time. Only last week the government had held the re-auctioning of the remaining 2G spectrum which turned out to be a damp squib. Justice Singhvi, who is sitting on judgement over the case said that the top most priority of the court should be to ensure that the government complies with its February 2012 verdict, in which it had cancelled 122 licenses and asked the government to re-auction the entire spectrum freed by the cancellations.
However, the government did not auction 32 per cent of the spectrum when it went for re-auction last week. And when asked why, the government did not care to send a senior officer to reply to the same. The apex court is unhappy that the government did not find it appropriate that a secretary-level officer would file the affidavit on behalf of the government, explaining why the entire spectrum freed after the cancellation of the controversial 2G licences given away by deposed former telecom minister A Raja, was not put up for auction.
The government had instead sent an officer of the rank of an under-secretary to do the needful, clearly indicating that it is either dragging its heels or is taking a rather casual, lackadaisical approach to the crucial matter of auctioning of 2G spectrum, which carries not only economic but also political implications.
It is most likely that the 2G case now carries policy implications too, given the underhand deals, the involvement of crores in the auction, the way the government has conducted both the auction and the controversy that was triggered by it and of course the fact that the apex court has got dragged into the matter. The apex court has now directed the secretary of DoT to file an affidavit within two days mentioning the progress of the court’s previous verdict, in which it heavily criticised the government and threw away the auctioning process out of the window, asking the government to arrange for new auctions altogether. Clearly, the Supreme Court is in no mood to let government off the hook so easily.
It is time that the government is taught some crucial and hard lessons about how it should go about conducting itself in matters of policy and public interest. After bungling badly with the spectrum allocation and having been caught with its pants down, the government now cannot relinquish the matter to the court. It has a lot of stake in the outcome of the case and must show that it does.
However, the government did not auction 32 per cent of the spectrum when it went for re-auction last week. And when asked why, the government did not care to send a senior officer to reply to the same. The apex court is unhappy that the government did not find it appropriate that a secretary-level officer would file the affidavit on behalf of the government, explaining why the entire spectrum freed after the cancellation of the controversial 2G licences given away by deposed former telecom minister A Raja, was not put up for auction.
The government had instead sent an officer of the rank of an under-secretary to do the needful, clearly indicating that it is either dragging its heels or is taking a rather casual, lackadaisical approach to the crucial matter of auctioning of 2G spectrum, which carries not only economic but also political implications.
It is most likely that the 2G case now carries policy implications too, given the underhand deals, the involvement of crores in the auction, the way the government has conducted both the auction and the controversy that was triggered by it and of course the fact that the apex court has got dragged into the matter. The apex court has now directed the secretary of DoT to file an affidavit within two days mentioning the progress of the court’s previous verdict, in which it heavily criticised the government and threw away the auctioning process out of the window, asking the government to arrange for new auctions altogether. Clearly, the Supreme Court is in no mood to let government off the hook so easily.
It is time that the government is taught some crucial and hard lessons about how it should go about conducting itself in matters of policy and public interest. After bungling badly with the spectrum allocation and having been caught with its pants down, the government now cannot relinquish the matter to the court. It has a lot of stake in the outcome of the case and must show that it does.
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