JOIN USThe Centre on Thursday downgraded the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on auction of spectrum to a Group of Ministers (GoM) with recommendatory powers only. Giving the Union Cabinet, the final decision on price and timing for sale of airwaves.
Though the government is yet to decide who should be the head of ministerial panel, sources said that its terms of references will be same as it was for EGoM.
The main task of the committee will be to suggest the base price for the 2G spectrum for auction. Besides, the committee will also make its recommendations on proposal to levy a one-time auction-determined fee for all spectrum held by existing telecom companies.
It may be noted that Shard Pawar, who was made the head of the high power ministerial panel recused himself from the responsibility.
Meanwhile, the Department of Telecommunication (DOT) is sceptical of meeting the August 31 deadline to complete 2G spectrum auction.
According to the government sources, the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) has conveyed that it is difficult to complete the auction exercise by August 31 due to the
delay in final decision from Empowered Group of Ministers.
The IMC has already extended the date for submitting bids by auctioneer (agency that will operate auction process) from July 5 to July 20. The auctioneer can be selected only after final guidelines are issued by EGoM.
The August 31 deadline for spectrum auction is important for companies like Sistema Shyam, Uninor and Videocon to win airwaves frequencies in the auction for their business continuity.