Insisting that there cannot be a straitjacket formula for distribution of natural resources, Government today told the Supreme Court that auction cannot be made the only route as it can be counterproductive.

Attorney General G E Vahanvati, who commenced the arguments on the merits of the Presidential Reference arising
out of the 2G spectrum verdict disagreed that fairness and transparancy can be achieved only through auction.
Appearing before a Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia, he said common good is the sole guiding
factor for distribution of natural resources.

Disagreeing with the court's findings that the first-come -first-served (FCFS) policy was unconstitutional, the Attorney General said, the touchstone for testing any policy of distribution of natural resources is whether it serves the common good.The Attorney General said the appropriate method for
dealing with or alienating a resource would be to take into consideration the nature of the resource, its content,
utility, end-use and its economic potential, as well as the ultimate usefulness of such resource for the community or society at large.