Govt to reconstitute TRAI

BANGALORE: To make the telecom services consumer-friendly, the government has decided to reconstitute the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and set up a quasi-judicial tribunal to resolve disputes among licensees and licensors. Government has decided to divest the new regulator of its judicial powers by setting up a telecom dispute settlement and appellate tribunal. The Union Cabinet has decided to proclaim an ordinance to this effect.

The new panel will be set up by March and the government would soon issue an ordinance regarding the 'TRAI amendment 2000', information technology minister Pramod Mahajan said after a three-hour Cabinet meeting. The cabinet decision comes in the wake of month-long arguments between TRAI and the telecom department with the former seeking adjudicatory powers to settle disputes between licenser and licensees.

Explaining the features of the TRAI Amendment Ordinance 2000, Mr. Mahajan told that henceforth all recommendations of the new quasi-judicial body regarding new licenses would be mandatory for the Government of India. As per the ordinance, the existing TRAI with one chairman and six members will be replaced by a newly constituted body with a new chairman, two permanent members and two part-time members. When the ordinance comes into operation, the tenure of the present chairman and members will be terminated and a compensation of three months` salary would be given to them. However, the present chairman and members would be eligible for reappointment in the new body. The term of the regulatory authority will be three years compared to five years now. The ordinance visualizes the setting up of an independent quasi- judicial authority termed the "Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal" for settling all disputes between licensees and licensors and any appeal against the tribunals decision will go before the Supreme Court.

The tribunal will comprise one chairman who would be a Supreme Court judge or high court chief justice and two members with technical and corporate expertise in the telecom field. The chairman of the tribunal will be appointed in consultation with the Chief Justice of India. The important aspect of the new body would be fixing of terms and conditions of inter- connectivity between service providers. The new regulator can recommend technological improvements and lay down well-defined standards for the telecom industry. It can also recommend the need and timing of entry of new service providers as well as terms and conditions of license by service providers. Henceforth, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India will have no jurisdiction over the new body.