Scene 1 -
Act 1 - India Shining
Government comes out with a policy to give 2G spectrum to telecom companies at a predefined rate. The spectrum is allocated to a number of companies so that it results in healthy competition and the cell phone call rates for the end users remain low. Right objectives, right policy!
Act 2 - Crony Capitalism
Enters A Raja, the telecom minister. Favors a few companies. Companies favored by Raja sell their stake to other entities(some of them foreign). Everyone pockets truck loads of money.
Scene 2 -
Act 1 - Hell breaks lose
Media and opposition, citing the money received from 3G auctions, call the policy of giving away 2G spectrum, at low rates, as faulty, resulting in loss to national exchequer.
Act 2 - As you sow so shall you reap
A Raja's role of favoring a select few companies comes to light. Raja in Jail.
Act 3 - Throw out the baby with the bath water
Judiciary steps in. Instead of booking the guilty and the corrupt, kills the 2G spectrum allocation policy. A policy which is bang on what we as a nation need - ubiquitous availability of communication devices that are inexpensive to use.
Repercussions -
a) No faith in govt policies and contracts (likely to impact future investments)
b) For some quick gains (money received by auctioning the 2g spectrum), jeopardize the long term objective of widening the use and availability of telecom services
c) Instead of making an effort to separate the bad from the good and punish the bad, judiciary seeks to kill the bad by killing everybody!
Scene 3 -
Act Final (Recommended) - Return of sanity -
Take licenses from those entities that were favored by Raja. Penalize them. Do not kill the policy which is absolutely sane.
Act 1 - India Shining
Government comes out with a policy to give 2G spectrum to telecom companies at a predefined rate. The spectrum is allocated to a number of companies so that it results in healthy competition and the cell phone call rates for the end users remain low. Right objectives, right policy!
Act 2 - Crony Capitalism
Enters A Raja, the telecom minister. Favors a few companies. Companies favored by Raja sell their stake to other entities(some of them foreign). Everyone pockets truck loads of money.
Scene 2 -
Act 1 - Hell breaks lose
Media and opposition, citing the money received from 3G auctions, call the policy of giving away 2G spectrum, at low rates, as faulty, resulting in loss to national exchequer.
Act 2 - As you sow so shall you reap
A Raja's role of favoring a select few companies comes to light. Raja in Jail.
Act 3 - Throw out the baby with the bath water
Judiciary steps in. Instead of booking the guilty and the corrupt, kills the 2G spectrum allocation policy. A policy which is bang on what we as a nation need - ubiquitous availability of communication devices that are inexpensive to use.
Repercussions -
a) No faith in govt policies and contracts (likely to impact future investments)
b) For some quick gains (money received by auctioning the 2g spectrum), jeopardize the long term objective of widening the use and availability of telecom services
c) Instead of making an effort to separate the bad from the good and punish the bad, judiciary seeks to kill the bad by killing everybody!
Scene 3 -
Act Final (Recommended) - Return of sanity -
Take licenses from those entities that were favored by Raja. Penalize them. Do not kill the policy which is absolutely sane.
