NEW DELHI, July 1: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) referred to the Committee of Secretaries to discuss the issue of awarding of the basic licence for the Rajasthan circle to Telelink Networks.

The presence of the scam-tainted Advanced Radio Masts (ARM) in the Telelink consortium has raised a fresh controversy about the awarding of the circle to the consortium which has been riddled with controversies right from the time the bids were submitted. The Committee of Secretaries is likely to meet here tomorrow to discuss the issue.

The Communications Minister, Beni Prasad Verma, is learnt to be under severe pressure from several political parties including his own Samajwadi Party to stall the awarding of the Rajasthan licence to Telelink. It is further reliably learnt that ARM has offered to the DoT to divest its stake in the Telelink consortium, subject to DoT approval, provided Telelink's bid for the Rajasthan circle is not adversely affected.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.