According to the Shivraj Patil report, several extensions for compliance with the terms of Letters of Intent (LoI) in the absence of enabling provisions in set guidelines may have helped Tata Teleservices Limited to obtain basic services licences (BSL) in various circles in 2001, according to news reports.
The report also said that the deadline was extended several times for TTSL for grant of BSLs in Maharashtra, Haryana, Kerala, Punjab and Rajasthan service areas for compliance with the LoIs.
It added that the extension of the deadline in the absence of any enabling provision in the guidelines could have lead to arbitrary exercise of power and favouritism subjectively.
The report has also named several Department of Telecommunications (DoT) officials. It said the TTSL-related decision was on the basis of an internal note put forward by Jeet Singh, ADG, BS II and was endorsed by the then DDG (BS) P.K. Mittal, RN Goyal, member, Parliament, R. Ramanathan, member, finance and Shyamal Ghosh, chairman, telecom commission, without raising any objection and finally getting approved by the minister.
These identified public officials appear to be responsible for the lapse in the procedure, the report said.
