Prime Minister was consulted during spectrum allotment: Raja

New Delhi, Oct 27 (ANI): Union Telecom Minister A Raja said here on Tuesday that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was consulted at every step during spectrum allotment.

Raja also maintained that the spectra were allocated on a first-come-first-serve-basis in accordance with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) norms.

Commenting on the opposition's demand for his resignation in view of an ongoing investigation involving his ministry Raja said: "Where is the question of resignation, That question does not arise."

"Any procedural error by DoT officials will be in front of the investigating agency. I should not comment or interfere in course of investigation," he added.

Last week Raja had snubbed media reports saying he had been following the footsteps of his predecessors.

On Monday, the Rajya Sabha Opposition leader Arun Jaitley said: "No single transaction of Government since independence has caused losses of more than Rs 50,000 cr. Therefore in terms of financial value, this is the largest ever scam in independent India."

The Telecom Ministry is under attack for doling out 2-G spectrum licenses cheaply compared to its actual market value. A total of 120 licenses were sold for Rs 1,651 cr each in 2008, and subsequently 2 telecom companies re-sold these licenses for Rs 9,000cr each - the total loss to the government is estimated to be Rs 50,000 crore. (ANI)