Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has rejected TRAI’s demand for more penal powers since he feels the authority has enough clout to protect the interests of consumers. The body had written to the DoT asking it to make changes to the TRAI Act in order to impose hefty fines on operators and throw errant executives into jail.
Prasad appears to not share this point of view. In a letter dated June 9 and addressed to MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar, he stated that TRAI already has wide ranging powers courtesy the TRAI Act. In that light, he thinks there’s no need to change the Act at this juncture.
While the Telecom Minister did not respond to queries, Chandrasekhar told PTI that TRAI has to have broad powers to protect consumers. He thinks there’s a need for a legitimate public debate over the matter, given how the entire technology sector has rapidly changed since the establishment of the TRAI Act.
Based on this, Chandrasekhar thinks TRAI must have more power. The MP’s latter also made reference to net neutrality. Prasad gave a diplomatic answer to his queries, saying that TRAI has already initiated a public consultation regarding over-the-top services via a consultation paper.
Also Read: DoT says penal powers for TRAI not a solution for call drops
Network brands have not reacted well to TRAI’s push towards more authority, terming the move draconian and arbitrary. Even Telecom Secretary J S Deepak thinks penal powers are not an effective solution for call drops. In his personal opinion, he doesn’t think that every instance of the issue should result in a person going to jail.