J S Sarma to head TRAI

NEW DELHI, INDIA: J S Sarma, member of Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT), will assume office as the new chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

The announcement of the new chairman comes after Prime minister Manmohan Singh clearing Sarma’s appointment.

Sarma will succeed Nripendra Mishra who retired on March 22, 2009, after which TRAI member A K Sawhney took the charge as an interim Chairman of the regulatory body.

Sarma has a lot of exposure in the telecom sector, since he was Chairman of the Telecom Commission from June 2005 to July 2006.

He was appointed TDSAT member on July 28, 2008. TRAI has proved to be a bulwark in taking care of the interests of the telecom consumers in the country, besides consistently coming up with vital and pertinent guidelines on telecommunication to the Department of Telecom, GOI.

Sarma emerged a front runner for the post after the committee headed by cabinet secretary K M Chandrasekhar drew up a three-member panel.

Apart from Sarma, the cabinet secretariat had shortlisted Yashwant Bhave, who served as additional secretary in the department of telecom, before retiring as secretary, consumer affairs and Arun Ramanathan, former finance secretary.

Ramanathan retired on April 30. The government has recently increased the salary and emoluments for the Trai chairman's position to Rs 3 lakh per month. The chairmans posting will be for a three-year term.