Our concern relates to principles, says Tharoor on TRAI Amendment Bill

Commenting on the introduction of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday said the party's concern is over principles.

"Our concern is a concern of principles, which is that the TRAI was set up to be an independent body. The Chairman would not be tempted by any particular prospective future employment, and therefore conduct himself completely independently," said Tharoor.

"If you change this, then you are basically making the TRAI chairman a handmaiden of the government which goes against the very intent of the original bill. Therefore we oppose this bill," he added.

He, however, said that the Opposition is not against Nripendra Misra or Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appointees but added that the laws of the land and their spirit must be respected.

Former Oil Minister Veerappa Moily said that the government is amending the bill so as to benefit one individual and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Amending a bill like this which has some sanctity is not right. They are setting a wrong precedent," he said.

The Bill is being tabled so to allow the appointment of former TRAI Chairman Nripendra Misra as the Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Before the Ordinance was promulgated, the TRAI Act prohibited its chairman and members from taking up any other job in the central or state governments after demitting office.

The decision to bring a bill to amend the TRAI Act was taken in the meeting of the Union Cabinet in June.

Misra is a 1967-batch retired IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre and his appointment as principal secretary will be co-terminus with the term of the PM or till further orders, according to an order issued by the Ministry of Personnel.

The principal secretary to the PM is a key post and acts as main link for coordination among Prime Minister's Office, cabinet secretariat and secretaries of ministries.

After the bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha, both the Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) staged protests in the house, and asked for the bill's immediate recall and withdrawal.