TRAI sectoral regulator taking us for a royal ride
A recent research conducted by us, on various tariff amendment order's and the subsequent press note No. 28 of 2016 issued by an expert body, TRAI " Telecom Regulatory Authority of India " the sector regulator for Telecommunication and Broadcasting & Cable Services in India, have revealed startling facts, which cannot be ignored by any person of sound mind.
It has been revealed:
TRAI adopted new rule of law ‘violator rewarded’ reasons best known to their officers.
TRAI made their own indicative or experimental GDP deflator otherwise the same is only made and published by the Ministry of Commerce, In our understanding the Ministry has not published any GDP deflator in 2016. While TRAI continued to use their own experimental GDP deflator instead of taking reference of WPI ( Whole Sale Price Index ) while issuing its various tariff amendment orders, allowing arbitrary inflation based tariff hikes to be charged by few.
TRAI is also taking and readily complying with oral industry demands made, for any hike in tariff, that suits the interest of the stake holders vis-à-vis its own officials.
Please find attached our detailed representation sent to this expert body TRAI, that we feel is protecting the interest of the consumers at large by virtue to regulate telecom services, including fixation/revision of tariffs for telecom and TV services which earlier vested in the Central Government. more