The NDA Government finally removed a legal obstacle in the appointment of Nripendra Misra as the Principal Secretary of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday by voice vote despite stiff opposition from the Congress. The Bill was passed in the lok Sabha on Monday.
Misra has already taken over the post following an Ordinance by the Government on May 28 paving way for his appointment. However, a Bill was later moved by the Government in Parliament to regularise the change in TRAI Act.
Congress member Manishankar Aiyer, a former bureaucrat himself, led the attack on the Government accusing it of pushing an Ordinance only to suit one individual — Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Hence, Aiyar argued, the Bill violated the Constitutional provision. Aiyer attacked Misra, without taking his name, saying many of his decisions were attracted adverse remarks from the courts.
The Bill envisaged removing an ‘anomaly’ as existing law allows a former TRAI Chairman to take up private job two years after retirement but prevents him or her from taking up a Government job ever in life. law and Telecommunications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said it was strange that a Government servant’s experience could be used by the corporate sector after cooling off period but never by the Government itself. In fact, most of the members mentioned this point. Prasad added that no other regulatory bodies like Competition Commission, Airports Economic Regulatory Authority and SEBI had such provision, and the amendment will bring parity among all regulatory bodies. He also clarified the Bill was not “individual-specific” but paved way for utilising the services of all other deserving talented officers’ by the Government.
BJP was supported by Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Trinamool Congress among others. Discussing the Bill, BSP chief Mayawati made it clear her party will support the Government on all issues which are in the interest of people. “I would like to State a few things because tomorrow Congress and other parties should not indulge in false propaganda that BSP supported the NDA because of disproportionate assets case against me,” she added.
The Bill replaces an Ordinance of May 28 to amend a clause in the TRAI Act which prevented former TRAI chiefs to be appointed to any Government post after retirement. The NDA Government wanted the expertise of Misra, a 1967-batch IAS officer from Uttar Pradesh, having served in various capacities in Centre and states. He retired in 2009 as TRAI head. He joined the PMO on May 28 after the Ordinance.
Going Misra’s way
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday by voice vote despite stiff opposition from the Congress
The ammendment clears the legal obstacle in the appointment of Nripendra Misra as the Principal Secretary of Prime Minister Narendra Modi
The Bill envisaged removing an ‘anomaly’ as existing law allows a former TRAI Chairman to take up private job two years after retirement but prevents him or her from taking up a Government job ever in life
law and Telecommunications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the Bill was not ‘individual-specific’ but paved way for utilising the services of all other deserving talented officers’ by the Government.
BJP was supported by Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Trinamool Congress among others