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Paswan dismisses Congress' allegation of a 'Telecom Scam'

Communication Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Friday dismissed Congress's allegation of a 'Telecom Scam' saying it was a contradiction as its own chief ministers in various states favoured expediting the process of issuing licences for basic telecom services.

Reacting to senior Congress party leader P R Dasmunshi's statement of a Rs 130 billion scam, in issuing licences for telecom services, Paswan said the decision was taken after Telecom Regulatory Authority of India gave its recommendations on the issue. The chief ministers from Congress ruled states of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh have written to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to intervene to expedite the process of licencing and on the other hand the party is alleging that there is a scam, the minister said adding that "both statements are contradictory."

Paswan said that even the Standing Committee on Communications Ministry favoured government's decision to allow limited mobility on basic telephones.

Moreover the decision to allow limited mobility has been challenged in the Telecom Dispute Settlement and Appellate Tribunal by the private cellular operators and its decision would be binding on all, he added.

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