The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is continuing its efforts to help the telecom space overcome the various challenges it is facing in the wake of the 2G spectrum issue.
DoT had identified a three-pronged strategy, which broadly included filing a review petition; taking a presidential reference to gain clarity on the legal implications of the judgment and filing a clarification petition covering operational issues.
Thereafter, DoT is in favour of barring telecom companies from holding stake in more than one operating firm, say news reports.
It is believed that DoT is of the opinion that the current rules, which permit companies to hold up to 10 per cent stake in multiple operating firms, have been bent in the past to create complex holding structures.
Further, in this context, Sachin Pilot, minister of state for communications and IT, has written to DoT saying that the upcoming National Telecom Policy ought to prohibit all operators? financial interests (such as equity holdings) in other telecom companies providing services in the country.
Further, Pilot said that telecom companies should be mandated to report their holding structure to the Securities Exchange Board of India.
