Competition panel finally gets a head

The country’s anti-trust body, the Competition Commission of India, today finally got a full-time chairman, more than five years after it was established in 2003.

The government has appointed Dhanendra Kumar, a former officer of the Indian Administrative Services who also served as an executive director of the World Bank, to the post. This move by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs is the first step to make CCI fully functional. It is meant to replace the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission, an anti-monopoly body.

“The top priority of the commission would be to promote a level playing field for doing business and bring in best practices in all sectors for consumers and the general public,” Kumar told reporters after being administered the oath of office by Corporate Affairs Minister Prem Chand Gupta. Kumar, however, refused to talk about specific cases like the recent fare hike by airlines, saying that the commission needs to get data and study everything in detail.

 

Along with Kumar, four other members for CCI have also been shortlisted — HC Gupta, a former coal secretary; Geeta Gauri, a member of the Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission; Ratneshwar Prasad, former chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes; and Prem Narayan Parashar who was a member of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal.

CCI is an independent body responsible for investigating mergers, market shares and conditions and the regulation of firms. It was created under the Competition Act, 2002, which was amended by Parliament in September 2007. However, the Act was challenged in the Supreme Court and subsequently the government amended the act further.

When asked about the status of the Commission Appellate Tribunal, the minister said it would be in place shortly. All appeals against the orders of the commission will be heard by this tribunal. According to an official, it will take at least six months before the commission actually starts taking up cases as staff and professionals need to be appointed, besides having a tribunal.