By IANS,
New Delhi : The wait for third generation (3G) telecom services in the country has got longer as the first meeting of a key ministry panel, set up to take decision on the pricing of 3G auctions, has been postponed.
The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM), headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was scheduled to meet July 31.
The government constituted the EGoM July 13 to look into matters relating to pricing of spectrum and the number of operators to be allowed in each telecom circle.
“The meeting has been deferred as Defence Minister A.K. Antony, a member of the EGoM, will not be able to attend it (July 31),” a Department of Telecommunications (DoT) official said.
Telecom Secretary Siddhartha Behura had said July 23 the EGoM would meet July 31 to decide on the base price of 3G spectrum and other related issues.
The auction process has been delayed several times since January when it was first scheduled to happen.
Once the EGoM takes the decision, fresh time line for auctions will be announced.
Other members of the EGoM are Communications Minister A. Raja, besides cabinet ministers P. Chidambaram, Sharad Pawar, A.K. Antony, Veerappa Moily, Ambika Soni, Prithviraj Chavan and also the Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.