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Pluses, minuses of UPA-II government (Three years of UPA II: Not much yo celebrate)

New Delhi, May 22 — Achievements and failures of UPA-11 in the last three years since it was returned to power in May 2009:

Achievements

1. MNREGA 2.0: A reformed package of UPA’s flagship rural employment guarantee scheme unveiled.

2. Public Procurement Bill, 2012: legislation introduced in parliament to codify government procurements and maximise competition, aimed at transparency.

3. Relations with Pakistan: Dialogue process with Pakistan revived three years after Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008.

4. Terrorism: Incidents few and far between.

5. Foodgrain production: India’s food grain production could touch a record 250 million tonnes.

Failures

1. 2G Spectrum scam: loss to government exchequer pegged at Rs.1.76 lakh crore ($36 billion). Former minister A. Raja arrested. So are five corporate honchos, first time ever.

2. CWG scam: Involves allegations of large-scale misappropriation of funds during 2010 Commonwealth Games estimated at Rs.70,000 crore ($18 billion).

3. lokpal bill: Despite… Continue reading

Lok Sabha nod for 2G panel’s extension

New Delhi, May 17 — The Lok Sabha Thursday agreed to extend the term of the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probing the 2G spectrum issue till the end of the winter session in December this year.

This is the second extension being granted to the committee.

A motion for the purpose, moved by the panel’s chairman P.C. Chacko, a Congress MP, was passed by the house by a voice vote.

This extension gives the committee time to submit its report on its probe in the spectrum allocation affairs by the end of the Lok Sabha sitting during the winter session.

The committee’s term was to end on the last day of the budget session on May 22.

The first extension to the panel was given in September last.

The panel consists of 20 Lok Sabha MPs and 10 Rajya Sabha MPs. It was formed on March 4 2011 to probe… Continue reading

Raja’s release may dilute 2G case: Jayalalithaa

Chennai, May 15 — Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa Tuesday said the 2G spectrum allotment scam case seemed to be getting diluted with the bail granted to former communications minister and the main accused A. Raja.

Queried about the bail granted to Raja, she told reporters here: “I am hearing about it from you only now. It definitely looks as though it is (2G case) getting diluted.”

Raja, lodged in the Tihar jail in Delhi since February 2011, was Tuesday granted bail by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special judge O.P. Saini.

When asked about Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s role in the Aircel-Maxis deal, Jayalalithaa said: “It is up to (Janata Party chief ) Subramanian Swamy to substantiate his allegations, and it is up to Minister Chidambaram to defend himself. In a situation like this, the only hope is the Supreme Court.”

Meanwhile, DMK party workers in Perambalur… Continue reading

Bail not end of 2G spectrum case: BJP

New Delhi, May 15 — With a CBI special court granting bail to former telecom minister A. Raja in the 2G spectrum case, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday said this was not the end of the case but could provide an opportunity for more persons to be made accused in the scandal.

“The case is not over. But it will progress and will provide an opportunity to scrutinise the role played by some others, who are not yet accused in the case, and probably including them among the list of accused,” said BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain, reacting to the grant of bail for Raja.

Though Hussain did not name Home Minister P. Chidambaram and his son Karthi Chidambaram, his reference to some others was obviously aimed at the two.

Meanwhile, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP T.K.S. Elangovan reacted to the news of bail to Raja, saying he and his… Continue reading

Bail not end of 2G spectrum case: BJP

New Delhi, May 15 — With a CBI special court granting bail to former telecom minister A. Raja in the 2G spectrum case, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday said this was not the end of the case but could provide an opportunity for more persons to be made accused in the scandal.

 

“The case is not over. But it will progress and will provide an opportunity to scrutinise the role played by some others, who are not yet accused in the case, and probably including them among the list of accused,” said BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain, reacting to the grant of bail for Raja.

 

Though Hussain did not name Home Minister P. Chidambaram and his son Karthi Chidambaram, his reference to some others was obviously aimed at the two.

 

Meanwhile, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP T.K.S. Elangovan reacted to the news of bail to Raja, saying… Continue reading

Telenor’s failure will hit India’s image: Norwegian minister

New Delhi, May 12 — The failure of Telenor’s $3-billion investment in subsidiary Uninor will not only impact India’s investment destination image but will also have political repercussions, Norway’s Trade Minister Trond Giske said here Saturday.

“If this investment fails, I think, it will be fair to say that it will influence the view of India as an investment country,” Giske told reporters.

“Telenor is not just any company. 54 percent of its shares are owned by Norwegians through the state and, thus, it has further political implications.”

Telenor lost 22 2G spectrum licences when Supreme Court, in its Feb 2 ruling, cancelled 122 such licences issued during telecom minister A. Raja’s tenure.

Telenor has a 67.25 percent stake in Uninor.

The Norwegian minister also met Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and discussed the issue.

He also met the company’s employees here along with Telenor chief executive Fredrik… Continue reading

2G case: Raja seeks bail citing parity

New Delhi, May 9 — A day before his 49th birthday, former telecom minister A. Raja Wednesday moved a bail application in a special CBI court after the Supreme Court granted bail to ex-telecom secretary Siddharth Behura in the 2G spectrum case. He has sought bail on grounds of parity.

“Except me, all the other accused have been released on bail,” Raja’s lawyer said before special judge O.P. Saini. Raja is one of the 19 individuals accused in the 2G spectrum allocation scam that has rocked the nation.

However, Raja will have to spend his 49th birthday Thursday in jail as the court has reserved its order till Friday.

Earlier, in an interview to IANS, Raja had said he was not very keen on getting out on bail as he would prefer to walk out of prison with “clean hands” in the 2G controversy.

Raja had resigned Nov 14, 2010… Continue reading

Delhi High Court issues notice to CBI on 2G accused’s plea

New Delhi, May 7 — The Delhi High Court Monday issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the plea of DMK Member of Parliament (MP) Kanimozhi’s close aide and Kalaignar TV managing director Sharath Kumar, seeking quashing of charges framed against him in the 2G spectrum allocation scam.

Sharath Kumar moved the high court against the order of the special CBI judge that framed charges against him in the 2G spectrum allocation scam.

The CBI had accused Sharath Kumar of taking bribe of Rs.200 crore as “reward for undue favours” shown by former telecom minister A. Raja in the 2G licence allocation to Swan Telecom in connivance of other public servants.

The CBI had also alleged that Sharath Kumar used to look into the day-to-day affairs of Kalaignar TV in which 60 percent stake was held by former Tamil Nadu chief minister M. Karunanidhi’s wife Dayalu Ammal,… Continue reading

2G: Process for selection of auctioneer approved

New Delhi, May 1 — In a rush to meet the August 31 deadline set by the Supreme Court for auctioning 2G spectrum, an empowered group of ministers (EGoM) Tuesday approved the process to select an auctioneer and said that bids from stakeholders should be invited soon, a senior Department of Telecom (DoT) official said.

“EGoM has approved initiation for the process of selection of auctioneer,” DoT Secretary R. Chandrasekhar told reporters after the EGoM meeting called to discuss the telecom regulator’s recommendations for the auction as mandated by the Supreme Court.

At the meeting, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Chairman J.S. Sarma gave a presentation on its recommendations which have been criticised by almost all the telecom players.

Among other things, the TRAI last month proposed an auction starting price that is 10-13 fold increase over what the operators had paid in 2008 and selling just 5 megahertz… Continue reading

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