Telecom Ministry Rejects TRAI’s Demands of More Penal Power

To check call drop menace, TRAI had asked DoT to amend the TRAI Act to empower it to impose fines on operators.

Telecom operators are lobbying hard against giving penal power to Trai, and has termed such powers as ‘draconian’. (Photo: iStockphoto)

• Telecom Minister, Ravi Shankar rejected demands of granting penal powers to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). In a letter to MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the minister said since TRAI has wide ranging powers, there was no need to change the TRAI act.
  
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• Chandrasekhar had written to Prasad saying as the entire technology sector has changed, TRAI should also have more power. Telecom operators are lobbying hard against giving penal power to TRAI, and has termed such powers as ‘draconian’.
  
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• To check the call drop menace, TRAI has approached the Department of Telecom (DoT) to amend the TRAI Act to empower it to impose fine of Rs 10 crore on operators as well jail term of up to two years to company executives for any violation of regulatory framework.
  

(With inputs from PTI.)