The one-man panel appointed by the Communication and IT Ministry to review the 2G allocation processes between 2001 and 2009, has blamed a number of former officials of the Department of Telecom for taking incorrect decisions.

The officers named in the report include Mr Vinod Vaish, DoT Secretary in 2003, and Mr Shyamal Ghosh, DoT Secretary in 2001.

The entire 143-page report of Mr Justice (Retired) Shivraj Patil, which was made public on Thursday, names more than 20 former DoT officers. Former Wireless Advisors have also been held responsible. “Though the Wireless Planning Commission (WPC) Wing was not involved in the decision-making process, it chose to comply with such procedures formulated when access licensees approached it for allotment of spectrum. Mr R. N. Aggarwal, Mr P. K. Garg and Mr R. P. Aggarwal, Wireless Advisors, are responsible for this deficiency,” the report said.

In the case of Mr Ghosh, the panel said he allowed some companies to rectify their application for basic licence in 2001, even though the guidelines did not have such a provision. The procedure adopted for the grant of extension of time was non-transparent.

Mr Ghosh has also been held responsible for permitting mobile operators to get additional spectrum beyond 6.2 Mhz in 2002 without TRAI's recommendations. For giving away new unified access licence in 2003 at 2001 prices, the report has named Mr Vinod Vaish.

The panel has also named Tata Teleservices, Idea Cellular, Essar, Swan Telecom among companies who benefited from the various decisions from 2001 to 2009. The findings of the panel has been handed to the Central Bureau of Investigation for further action.

> tkt@thehindu.co.in

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