New Delhi:
The government has asked a retired Supreme Court judge to look into the telecom policies followed by different governments since 2001.
Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said the inquiry by retired judge Shivraj Patil will be completed within four weeks. It will examine instances where procedure was not followed, as well as any lack of transparency. (
Read: Sibal cautions against public spat by corporates)
Mr Sibal said that the Supreme Court is already examining criminal culpability for the humongous 2G scam - estimated to be worth Rs 1.76 lakh crore by the government's auditor.
The government has been under non-stop fire from the Opposition since the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) found former Telecom Minister A Raja guilty of handing precious 2G spectrum at super-sale prices to telecom companies in 2008. Mr Raja was forced to quit last month, and Mr Sibal replaced him.
Yesterday, the government finally got the break it had been looking for when the Supreme Court asked the CBI, which is investigating the 2G scam, to extend its scope of inquiry to 2001 when the BJP-led NDA was in power. Raja and the UPA government have stressed that he followed the first-come-first-served policy introduced by the NDA.
The CAG report said Raja should have auctioned 2G spectrum.