Telecom Commission may get a new member

Inter-ministerial panel Telecom Commission, which was set up in 1989, is likely to be strengthened with an addition of a new member from the finance ministry.

In order to restructure the TC, DoT has communicated to the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley that the proposal for an amendment to the constitution of the TC, and induction of additional secretary (economic affairs) of the Department of Economic Affairs as an alternative member of TC would not be possible sans Cabinet approval.

The TC was established through the decision of the Cabinet on 25 January, 1989. It deliberates on issues related to the policy changes, allocation and management of spectrum for commercial use, among others.

At present, TC constitutes of nine members, including secretaries from different ministries like DoT, Finance Ministry, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Department of IT and the Planning Commission. The TC is chaired by the secretary of the DoT.

The proposal for the amendment came after the 2G scam, as the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had, in its report on the 2G scam, commented adversely about the practice of conducting meetings of the TC with only full time members being present. The DoT has, since then, been practicing the habit of inviting all the part time members of the TC.