The Supreme Court today directed the Government to complete fresh auction of cancelled 122 2G spectrum licences by January 11, 2013. The Apex Court said that failure to meet the deadline would invite “contempt” action against erring officials with exemplary cost.

A bench of justices G S Singhvi and K S Radhakrishnan,which extended the August 31, 2012 deadline for completing the auction process, made it clear that no court in the country will entertain any plea on this issue of 2G spectrum.

It said existing licencees of the 2G spectrum, who had to shut down the operation by September 7, are entitled to operate upto January 18 next year.

The bench, which expressed its displeasure against the Centre for not mentioning the “outer limit” for completing the auction process, said that unless the outer limit will be fixed the auction process will never happen.

The judges, who were unhappy with the affidavit filed by the Telecom Secretary R Chandrashekhar, for not mentioning the outer limit for the fresh auction of 2G spectrum, said that the process cannot go for indefinite period.