Rudy seeks correction in TRAI Amendment Bill

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy said here on Friday that Tax Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Amendment Bill is an ordinance which says that a TRAI member or chairman can seek employment in any government or private sector after two years of retirement.

"It's an ordinance which was introduced, that has to be ratified within six months and there is no question of hurry, it's a legal action which has to be completed inside the Parliament, a constitutional action. But the fact remains, a member who retires as a member or a chairman of TRAI can seek employment in a private sector after two years, but that he cannot seek employment or be appointed in the government is something which seems wrong," said Rudy.

"There are many regulatory authorities in this country like the pension fund regulatory authority, insurance, civil aviation, etc which actually have this and many do not like SEBI. So there is anomaly which needs to be corrected and the government has taken the right step to correct it," he added.

Earlier today, Noisy scenes had prevailed in Parliament as Union Home Minister Rajnath introduced TRAI Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha.

As Singh began reading out the bill, both the Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) staged protests in the house, and asked for the bill's immediate recall and withdrawal.

The Bill is being pushed to allow the appointment of former TRAI Chairman Nripendra Misra as 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.

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 Prime Minister or till further orders, according to an order issued by the Ministry of Personnel.

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