Maran denies wrongdoing in issuing telecom licences:
Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran today denied allegations that he received bribes for issuing a license from 2G to a private operator as a telecommunications minister 2004-07.
"It is totally false and malicious," Maran said on accusations that he was "partial to a particular company" on licensing.
Maran denial comes in the wake of a report in Tehelka magazine in 2006 stating that the license Maran deliberately delayed compensation to certain companies.
The article provoked demands for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the AIADMK of his resignation from the cabinet. Left parties also called for "a serious investigation" into the allegations.
'As the news is far from the truth, I have already sent notices of libel on newspapers and television channels in question, "Maran said allegations that a Malaysian company Maxis Communications bought 74 per cent stake in Aircel when Maran was the minister of telecommunications and the company later was assigned to operate more circles.
Maxis Communication through its subsidiary Astro invested about Rs.600 crore in Sun DTH owned Sun TV Network Maran family owned, it has been claimed.
Maran holds the portfolio of telecommunications from May 2004 to May 2007 in the United Progressive Alliance-I.
He stressed that "any telecommunications company, directly or indirectly, has never invested in any of the companies owned by my brother during my tenure as minister of telecommunications.
Maran said: 'As the allegations are now sharply focused and some political parties also joins them, I fail in my duty if I do not put the facts in their proper perspective in the public domain.
"I answer my tenure as minister of communications and computing, I was completely impartial in making decisions. Do not have a company favored over others. Nor any applicant company was allowed to jump the queue in the granting of licenses or were any loss to the exchequer, "he said.
"Only companies that meet all the requirements were given letters of intent in its own turn. Even the CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) has not mentioned any loss to the treasury account of licensing in my office," said .
The minister said that "the practice then for the granting of (telecommunications) license to any applicant was that the applicant company must meet all conditions specified in the framework of the networth, the pattern of financing, business plan and debt-equity ratio.
The applicant also needed to have a clean payment history and compliance with license conditions in a service area, he said.
"To the extent that the issue of licensing of Dishnet Wireless Limited (Aircel) refers, as far as I could remember, even before he became a minister of communications and the May 27, 2004, there were consultations serious situations relating to the potential financing of the company, its networth and the debt-capital raised by the department of telecommunications and the application was under review before becoming a minister, "he said.
"The granting of licenses requested by the company was approved when the file was submitted by the department after a thorough review of all issues including legal aspects and the company became fully eligible for the award," he said.
"I was not even a minister when Astro invested in direct sun in December 2007, who had resigned May 13, 2007. Needless to say, do not hold shares or trust interest in any of these companies," he said in statement.
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Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran today denied allegations that he received bribes for issuing a license from 2G to a private operator as a telecommunications minister 2004-07.
"It is totally false and malicious," Maran said on accusations that he was "partial to a particular company" on licensing.
Maran denial comes in the wake of a report in Tehelka magazine in 2006 stating that the license Maran deliberately delayed compensation to certain companies.
The article provoked demands for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the AIADMK of his resignation from the cabinet. Left parties also called for "a serious investigation" into the allegations.
'As the news is far from the truth, I have already sent notices of libel on newspapers and television channels in question, "Maran said allegations that a Malaysian company Maxis Communications bought 74 per cent stake in Aircel when Maran was the minister of telecommunications and the company later was assigned to operate more circles.
Maxis Communication through its subsidiary Astro invested about Rs.600 crore in Sun DTH owned Sun TV Network Maran family owned, it has been claimed.
Maran holds the portfolio of telecommunications from May 2004 to May 2007 in the United Progressive Alliance-I.
He stressed that "any telecommunications company, directly or indirectly, has never invested in any of the companies owned by my brother during my tenure as minister of telecommunications.
Maran said: 'As the allegations are now sharply focused and some political parties also joins them, I fail in my duty if I do not put the facts in their proper perspective in the public domain.
"I answer my tenure as minister of communications and computing, I was completely impartial in making decisions. Do not have a company favored over others. Nor any applicant company was allowed to jump the queue in the granting of licenses or were any loss to the exchequer, "he said.
"Only companies that meet all the requirements were given letters of intent in its own turn. Even the CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) has not mentioned any loss to the treasury account of licensing in my office," said .
The minister said that "the practice then for the granting of (telecommunications) license to any applicant was that the applicant company must meet all conditions specified in the framework of the networth, the pattern of financing, business plan and debt-equity ratio.
The applicant also needed to have a clean payment history and compliance with license conditions in a service area, he said.
"To the extent that the issue of licensing of Dishnet Wireless Limited (Aircel) refers, as far as I could remember, even before he became a minister of communications and the May 27, 2004, there were consultations serious situations relating to the potential financing of the company, its networth and the debt-capital raised by the department of telecommunications and the application was under review before becoming a minister, "he said.
"The granting of licenses requested by the company was approved when the file was submitted by the department after a thorough review of all issues including legal aspects and the company became fully eligible for the award," he said.
"I was not even a minister when Astro invested in direct sun in December 2007, who had resigned May 13, 2007. Needless to say, do not hold shares or trust interest in any of these companies," he said in statement.
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