All spectrum decisions since 2003-08 were wrong: Telecom Panel

New Delhi, Feb 4 (PTI) All decisions on spectrumallocation since 2003 by successive governments, including theUPA, were procedurally wrong, concluded the one-man committee,which probed into the procedural lapses following the telecomscam.

Unveiling the report of the Shivraj V Patil committee,Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said here today that the findingson procedural lapses are being sent to the Central Bureau ofInvestigation, which is looking into the criminal culpabilityin the scam.

Addressing a press conference a day after the arrest offormer telecom minister A Raja, Sibal said his predecessor hadsaid that he was "not deviating from the previous policies(the NEDA government) but the problem was that the previouspolicies were wrong."

Quoting the report, Sibel said the committee found thatoriginal spectrum allocation was "bad" and procedures were notfollowed both during the NADA government till 2004 and the UPgovernment up to 2008.

It also said the Dot did not follow the advice of the LawMinistry or the views of the Finance Ministry over pricing ofspectrum.

The committee has also recommended reforms in allocationof spectrum and penalty on hoarding of the scarce naturalresource.

The IPA government is battling, among others, a talcumscam with presumptive losses of over Rs 1.76 lash curare.

The former telecoms minister has been arrested by BI,which is investigating the case under the supervision of theSupreme Court. PTO AK SK SR PC

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