JOIN USTelecom giant Bharti Airtel has said it has not sought a stay on the auction of 2G/3G spectrum airwaves in the Karnataka circle, scheduled for the first week of March.
Referring to a report published in these columns in the edition dated February 21, 2015, Bharti Airtel said it only sought a direction from the High Court of Karnataka that the government permit it to bid in the auctions to be held pursuant to the notice inviting applications (NIA) dated January 9, 2015 on the basis of the Spectrum Caps as per NIA dated December 12, 2013.
“Airtel is not questioning the capping at 25 pc of the assigned spectrum for each operator. Airtel’s plea is that it be permitted to participate in the auction in line with the capping that was fixed at 67.88 MHz in the previous auction subject to the final decision in the present writ petition to be passed by the High Court,” a statement from Airtel said.
Assistant Solicitor General Krishna S Dixit, who appeared for the Union government, however, maintained that the counsel for Airtel had made an oral submission during the hearing on February 20, 2015, seeking a stay on the auction and he had opposed the prayer as the same was not part of the writ petition.