The decision of the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) that the telecom operators who have spectrum in excess of 4.4 Mhz will have to pay a one-time fee for the remaining period of the 2o year licence is completely discriminatory and is nothing but a favour to the private companies. Since the spectrum was allotted to the major private companies in 1994 and their 20 year licence is to end by 2013, most of them have to pay at about Rs.2,ooo crore to 3500 crore only. It is only Bharti Airtel which will have to pay about Rs. 5000 crore since it has got as much as 10Mhz spectrum in almost all circles. These private companies have been enjoying the free excess spectrum for the last 19 years.
According to the reports BSNL has to pay a minimum of Rs. 6250 crore and MTNL Rs. 4640 crore. This is due to the reason that they have yet 10 years more to complete their 20 year period,
since they were discriminated and were given the spectrum only in 2002, though they were the companies owned by the Government. Both of them together have to pay Rs, 10,890 crore for spectrum all over India, while Airtel need pay only Rs. 5,000 crore for the same. While excess spectrum was free for 19 years to the private companies and have to pay only for one year, BSNL & MTNL got excess spectrum free for only 10 years and have to pay for 10 years. This is completely injustice and an attack on the above two PSUs who have served the country for long years serving not only in the urban cities but in the lakhs of villages as part of the universal service obligation by the government incurring loss of lakhs of crores of rupees.
The Cabinet is going to take a decision on the recommendations of the EGoM on 16th October as reported in the media. There should be strong protest from the BSNL – MTNL management against this decision. It should be demanded that the excess spectrum with BSNL & MTNL should be free and that no charge should be levied as they are the incumbent and government companies as also that they have been discriminated in allocation of the spectrum for many years. At least no fee should be levied till the end of the first 20 years period.
The Cabinet is going to take a decision on the recommendations of the EGoM on 16th October as reported in the media. There should be strong protest from the BSNL – MTNL management against this decision. It should be demanded that the excess spectrum with BSNL & MTNL should be free and that no charge should be levied as they are the incumbent and government companies as also that they have been discriminated in allocation of the spectrum for many years. At least no fee should be levied till the end of the first 20 years period.
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