The move will deprive the exchequer, means common people, of thousands and thousands of crore rupees in revenue.
By GL Jogi, General Secretary, Sanchar Nigam Pensioners Welfare Association (SNPWA)
In continuing moves to safeguard and bolster the growth of established vested interests, Ambani, Sunil Mittal and Birla, the government is likely to announce complete waiving of Spectrum Usage Charges (SUC), for airwaves bought through auctions prior to 15th September, 2021. The SUC is 3-4% of AGR (Aggregate Gross Revenue). One can easily assess the quantum of relief provided to vested interests by this government. AGR runs into lakhs and lakhs of crore rupees and 3-4 % of that would cumulatively also run into lakhs of crore rupees. And whose money is this, common people, the poor, underprivileged and the tax payers.
Comrades, this is not the end of the scandal. This government in June 2022 already waived off Spectrum Usage Charges for airwaves that had been auctioned after September, 2021. This waiver also resulted in loss of thousands and thousands of crores to the exchequer.
What is very interesting is that through this waiver, Vodafone- Idea, which owes whooping 2 lakh crore rupees to the government, is to get relief of about Rs 10,000 crores.
And all these sinister decisions of the government are being taken to promote so called competition whereas every effort is being made, inch by inch, to paralyze national telecom institution of the country, BSNL, in the name of indigenization
What deserves strongest and unequivocal condemnation of this government is while every effort, through major policy decisions, is being made to facilitate and accelerate import of 5G equipment for Jio, Airtel, Vodafone, no stone is being unturned to bury BSNL in the name of indigenization which is a complete hoax. The result of this diabolical decision of the government is that BSNL is crippled since it is not in a position to provide quality 4G services because of untested, unreliable and poor 4G indigenous equipment. And this move of the government is well calibrated and motivated only to cripple BSNL in the name of indigenization