Unfortunately, his explosive reports on 2G, CWG, Coal block allocations were grabbed up by the media and opposition as a stinging attack on low level of governance and ethical deficit in decision making and also widespread corruption. The reports always had talked for revenue loss/potential wrongful gain to private operators in astronomical sums. They were qualified to be notional and presumptive but nevertheless media took it as gospel truth. Last time the Auditor came down heavily on the First come first served policy of allocation of spectrum by the then Telecom Minister A Raja who was forced to quit and a PIL heard by Supreme Court invalidated all the 122 licences allotted in FCFS policy of yesteryears. The SC mandated that the spectrum be auctioned to find the market price. A presidential reference later on made the SC to decide that policy making is executive prerogative but neverthess that sought to insulate a SC bench decision in2G allotments. 

SC even of late castigated the Government on dithering to sell spectrum in an auction refused to extend deadlines and the result was an overwhelming rejection of the prices benchmarked. The Government could mop up only Rs.9200 crores as against 40000 crores it had expected. Naturally, this brought forth a question as to whether CAG needs to do his arithmatic once again. Some in the media and opposition have slammed the government yet again for questioning the auditor. The same people said by accepting the TRAI determined price of 18K crore for spectrum, the Government has accepted the valuation of CAG. Now if that fails the corallary is that CAG and TRAI are wrong. Why should we not accept that?

In the words of telecom minister Kapil Sibal sensationalism of CAG has killed the industry. It has dampened investor sentiments. True there could have been a cartel in suppressing the prices, This could also have happened in 2008 had the spectrum been auctioned. Again only because spectrum was offered  at relatively low prices, teledensity has reached this level of 70%. to that extent FCFS has met social objective. The 2G scandal was a turf war between Telecom companies in to which CAG and media fell prey needlessly killing the nascent industry which is now debt ridden.