An NGO, which filed a petition in the Delhi High Court seeking cancellation of allocation of 2G spectrum beyond 2x4.5 MHz for Metros and 2x4.4 MHz for other circles to telecom companies without charging additional fee, has moved the Supreme Court pleading its case be shifted to the apex court.

The NGO, Telecom Watchdog, has filed the petition pleading that its case, filed in 2008, be transferred to the apex court which is hearing a similar matter.

In a similar matter, the Supreme Court had on January 30 sought the replies of the Centre and telecom firms on a plea challenging the allocation of 2G spectrum beyond the entry level of 4.4 MHz and 6.2 MHz without charging additional fee.

A Bench of justices, Mr G S Singhvi and Mr S J Mukhopadhaya, had also issued a notice to the Ministry of Finance, Department of Telecom (DoT), Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and various telecom firms including Airtel, Vofafone, Idea, Loop and Tata on a plea for reclaiming all the spectrum quantity allocated beyond the contracted quantum of 6.2 MHz from the telecom firms.

The bench had passed the order on a petition filed by advocate Mr Yakesh Anand challenging the Delhi High Court’s decision refusing to entertain his plea.

He had also sought a direction to the government to recover Rs 36,993 crore, as estimated by CAG, for the excess spectrum held by these telcos.

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