Telecom Watchdog Approved

The Union cabinet yesterday approved the setting up of the much delayed Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). A new bill will be introduced in Parliament during the coming session.

The TRAI bill had been deferred since the middle of last year after Opposition members had raised objections to some of its provisions on powers of the proposed authority. The bill was then referred to the standing committee on communications which gave its report during the last session.

It could not be ascertained whether the new bill will retain a committee recommendation that a provision in the previous bill requiring prior government approval for any of TRAIs regulations should be deleted. IF the objective of the bill is to establish an authority independent of the executive for the telecom sector, then no prior approval should be necessary, the Parliamentary committee had said. Without giving details, an official spokesman said, the TRAI under the new bill would be a statutory and high powered body with a substantial measure of automony.

The TRAI will consist of a chairperson and members belon-ging to various fields such as telecommunications, finance, law and consumer affairs.

The guidelines on private participation in basic telecom services issued in September 1994 in pursuance of the announcement of the national telecom policy earlier that year had indicated that such an independent authority would be set up. It will resolve disputes between service providers, ensure technical compatibility and effective interconnection between different service provi-ders, regulate tariff and protect consumers interests, and facilitate competition and promote efficiency in the operation of telecommunication services, the spokesman said.

This will help in growth of such services, he added.

TRAIs aim is to provide a level playing field.

It is expected to instill confidence in companies participating in the telecom privatisation process. It is hoped the authority will become operational soon - after the bill is discussed and passed in Parliament, he added.

Industry representatives who met Telecom Secretary V K Gokak last week had expressed concern over the delay in the setting up of TRAI. Yesterdays announcement would allay some of their fears. The fate of another controversial recommendation too is not known. The Parliamen-tary panel had said TRAI should have powers to punish individuals and firms who defy its orders.