Dayanidhi Maran is a politically non-entity and does not pose threat to anyone. The CBI is doing its job by quizzing Maran and his associates. Recently, CBI arrested three people, including V Gowthaman, the then additional private secretary of Dayanidhi Maran, in connection with alleged allotment of more than 300 high-speed telephone lines to the then telecom minister’s residence in Chennai which were extended to his brother’s TV channel. Besides Gowthaman, CBI arrested chief technical officer S Kannan and electrician L S Ravi of Sun TV network. CBI has named Maran and BSNL officials, including the then chief general manager K Bramhanathan and MP Veluswami in the FIR filed in October 2013 following a preliminary enquiry in which the agency claimed to have found enough material to proceed with a regular case against the former minister.
Leaders have spoiled the system by encouraging corruption like this in the Centre and put a blot on the nation. Nation wants to know that how the power was misused by Maran as a Telecom Minister at the centre. Then PM Manmohan Singh is also responsible to the nation for his irresponsible conduct. An individual may get orders from his superiors but he is personally responsible of his own omissions and commissions. It seems spectrum was ‘bread and butter’ of telecom minister. The ministers were not worried about the loss caused to the government. No one is ready to admit that if they have worked diligently, it would have resulted in better profit to the government which in turn can be distributed to the poor people. Only few companies have gained crores of rupees because of this spectrum distribution.
Notwithstanding the recommendation of then FM for auctioning, Manmohan Singh kept mum when Raja wrote to him that he will go ahead with the old system of pick and choose; just acknowledged Raja’s letter. His silence implies consent and involvement. Subsequently, when FM wrote to close the matter of allocations of 2G, Manmohanji had not done anything. All those who are directly or indirectly involved in this scam should be punished.
Nearly four years after getting complaints, the CBI will start a formal probe into allegations. These 323 residential lines were in the name of BSNL General Manager connecting the Boat House residence of Mr. Maran with office of Sun TV through a dedicated underground cable during the tenure of Maran as Telecom Minister. The agency has recommended action to Telecom Secretary in 2007 but the department allegedly did not give its nod in the case. CBI has now decided to file a preliminary inquiry in the case against unknown persons. These lines were not ordinary telephone lines but more costly Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), capable of carrying huge data, thus facilitating faster transmission of TV news and programmes across the globe.
CBI in its report to the Telecom Secretary has alleged that these lines are used by medium to large commercial enterprises to meet special needs such as video conferencing and transmission of huge volume of digital data, for which heavy price is to be paid but alleged that Sun TV got it for free because of Maran. It said that this virtual exchange was programmed in such a way that except “authorised BSNL staff” no one in the state-owned telecom company was aware of its existence. The CBI alleged that a stealth cable was used to connect the residence of the minister with Sun TV office to give impression that these lines were for the Minister but actually they were used by the channel.
Corrupt Marans were thinking that national properties are their parental heritage! They should not only be charged with crime but should also be asked to pay the bills after calculating the bandwidth with commercial rates. Marans should be ordered to pay the bills with penalty and interest. Meanwhile, the probe had started in 2011, FIR filed in October 2013 following a preliminary enquiry, three have been arrested in 2015 to “collect some crucial evidence” and the main culprit was enjoying political patronage (may be due to coalition compulsion) in last UPA government. These three arrested persons were executing the work on behalf of their employer! How deep will the ‘money’ be penetrated?
