2G scam: CBI questions TRAI ex-chairman

Former Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chairman Nripendra Misra was questioned by CBI on Tuesday in connection with the 2G spectrum scam.

Misra was heading TRAI when A Raja issued telecom licences to nine cellphone service-providers at 2001 prices, setting back the exchequer by Rs1.76 lakh-crore.

A 1966-batch Uttar Pradesh-cadre IAS, he also served as the telecom secretary.

Misra’s predecessor Pradip Baijal and another TRAI member K Sridhar have been already questioned on several occasions.
Sources said he told CBI that the department of telecom (DoT) never sought TRAI’s recommendations at the time of issuing new spectrum licences, as is required under TRAI Act.

On the changes in the cut-off date by the telecom ministry, Misra said DoT took the decision unilaterally. DoT decided a cut-off date of October 1, 2007, for accepting applications from telcos, but later changed it to September 25, he said.