Ordinance to split TRAI powers in the offing

Ordinance to split TRAI powers in the offing
ENS ECONOMIC BUREAU

New Delhi, Jan 22: The ordinance amending the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act to split the powers of the regulatory body will be promulgated on Monday.

Top government sources told The Indian Express that the process of promulgation of the ordinance was set in motion with the law ministry clearing the proposed amendment. The draft has now been sent to the communications ministry for finalisation. Sources added that the Government has set January 24 as the deadline for promulgation of the ordinance.

The communications ministry is expected to forward the draft ordinance to the Prime Minister's Office over the weekend for clearance before it is sent to the President's Secretariat. DoT secretary Anil Kumar met information & broadcasting minister Arun Jaitley earlier in the day to give finishing touches to the ordinance.

Meanwhile, a cloud of uncertainty hangs over the fate of the seven members of the TRAI. Sources said that the officials have already started to remove their personal effects from the TRAI office in the STC building in Delhi.

The fate of the members including TRAI chairman Justice SS Sodhi, vice-chairman BK Zutshi and members like former MTNL chairman NS Ramachandran is not clear. In addition, recent entrants like RRN Prasad, among others, stand to lose the maximum.

Prasad, who is the second most senior Indian Telecom Service officer after current DTS secretary PS Saran was moved to the TRAI less than a year ago from his position as member (production) Telecom Commission. He was set to hold office till 2003. He now faces the prospect of being out of the TRAI as well as the DoT, where he was in line to be the next secretary after PS Saran.