HC rejects plea on agreement on purchasing outdated 2G technology

New Delhi : The Delhi High Court on Monday rejected a plea seeking quashing of an agreement between Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) on purchasing of outdated 2G technology.

A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice C. Hari Shankar dismissed the plea and said it is government's policy matter.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by NGO Telecom Watchdog which has alleged that the decision to deploy an outdated 2G technology in Arunachal Pradesh and two districts of Assam is discriminatory, without application of mind and contradictory to Government's policy of Digital India.

The plea has sought quashing of the agreement dated January 16, 2018 signed between DoT and BSNL under which an outdated 2G technology is sought to be purchased at a huge cost of Rs 2,258 crore from two private companies under mysterious circumstances despite the fact that the telecom commission had on December 21 2017 decided to procure 2G-cum-4G for all future projects.