Selection panel interviews 10 candidates for Trai top job

A high-level selection committee today interviewed around 10 candidates for the post of Trai Chairperson which will fall vacant when incumbent JS Sarma retires in May.

According to sources, the panel interviewed telecom industry veteran Rakesh Mehrotra, who was earlier shortlisted for the post of Permanent Member for Telecom Regulatory Authority of India but the appointment did not come through.

Sources said other candidates appeared for the interview today included Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner Subodh Kumar; Fertiliser Secretary Ajay Bhattacharya.

Former Secretary (Defence Finance) Indu Liberhan and Vijayalakshmi K Gupta who had held the position of Secretary (Defence Finance) were also present. Former DoT Member (Technology) Chandra Prakash was also a candidate.

All the government officials named have served Department of Telecom in various capacities with the exception of Liberhan who has served as Principal Advisor at Trai.

Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth, Principal Secretary at Prime Minister's Office Pulok Chatterji, Advisor to Prime Minister Sam Pitroda, Secretary at Department of Personnel and Training

PK Misra and Telecom Secretary R Chandrashekhar were part of the high-level panel who conducted the interviews.

Prakash retired from the post of Member (Technology) and has been interface with Trai on various issues like mobile number portability, rollout of telecom networks, telecom manufacturing and others.

Kumar has served at the post of Additional Secretary at DoT and it was report of a committee headed by him that raised the issue of charging excess spectrum held by telecom operators.

Bhattacharya has served as Universal Service Obligation Fund Administrator at DoT while Gupta was Member (Finance) at DoT when government conducted 3G and wireless broadband spectrum auction.

Former DIPP secretary RP Singh and Defence Production Secretary Shekhar Agarwal are also among people who had applied for the job.