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CAG indicts TRAI for unauthorized issuance of orders

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CIOL Bureau
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BANGALORE: The Comptroller and Auditor-General of India (CAG) has indicted the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for having "unauthorisedly issued a number of orders'' which sought to "give the best possible package of benefits to the chairperson and members of TRAI.''



In its report on Union government (Civil Other Autonomous Bodies), CAG said the form of accounts of the TRAI and its funding arrangements were not finalized by the government even after about two years of its establishment. It said that "the system of internal checks and controls was also found lacking, resulting in a number of serious irregularities.''



It was detected in audit that in disregard of provisions of the TRAI Act, the chairperson and members issued order fixing rates of traveling allowance for domestic and foreign travel, medical benefits, furnishing of residential accommodation for themselves without informing the union government. The ministry of communications told the audit that it had no information about the interim decisions taken by the chairperson and members of the TRAI. In its reply in November 1998, TRAI stated that in view of the independence sought to be vested in the authority by the TRAI Act, approval of the union government for decisions taken may not be necessary, especially since these were in the context of the union government not having made rules governing the conditions of the service.



However, the CAG said the reply of the TRAI is not "tenable'' as the chairperson and members have no powers under the TRAI Act to issue any order fixing their own conditions of service without the approval of the Union Government. As the issue about grant of status of Chief Justice of High Court to the chairperson of TRAI had been under consideration of the government, the reports said that "without waiting for any government notification in this regard, the chairperson of the TRAI was provided free furnishing at residence and electric appliances totaling Rs. 2.26 lakhs.''



The CAG said after the issue was raised by Audit, the union government notified the condition of service of chairperson and Members of TRAI on March 15, 1999. As per this, the TRAI Chairperson and members would be entitled to foreign travel allowance only at par with equivalent grade officers of the union government. However, the union government would have to take a decision for the period prior to March 15 1999, CAG said.

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