CJI recommends Aftab Alam for post of TDSAT chief

Minister of Communications and IT Kapil Sibal has already reviewed the proposal who and agreed to Kabir's recommendations

Aftab Alam, who has recently retired as the Justice of the Supreme Court of India, is likely to be the new chairperson of the Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT).

Aftab Alam, who recently retired as a Supreme Court judge, is likely to be the new chairperson of the Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT). Altamas Kabir, Chief Justice of India, has recommended Alam for the post.

The proposal has been reviewed by Kapil Sibal, minister of information technology and communications, and he has agreed to Kabir’s recommendation.

The top post at TDSAT fell vacant on November 2, 2012, after its previous chief, S B Sinha, completed his tenure. In October 2012, Kabir had recommended former Supreme Court judge Cyriac Joseph for the TDSAT chief’s post. However, Joseph is now being considered for the post of member, National Human Rights Commission.

Sibal had reportedly written to Kabir, saying he was opposed to Joseph’s appointment as TDSAT chairperson.

After Sinha retired, TDSAT had only one member (technical), P K Rastogi. After Rastogi retired on February 16, the government appointed Kuldeep Singh, ex-chairman-cum-managing director of Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited, as member of TDSAT.

According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, the chairperson of TDSAT should be appointed by the Centre, in consultation with the Chief Justice of India. The TDSAT head has to be a judge or a former judge of the Supreme Court, or a chief justice or a former chief justice of a high court.