New Delhi: Replying to a discussion in which the Centre came under attack over amending the Trai Act, law and Union communications minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the focus of the Bill was to remove “a palpable anomaly” as the existing law provided that a former Trai chairman could take up a private job two years after retirement, but not a government job.
Other regulatory bodies like the Competition Commission, the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority and the Sebi do not have such provision, the minister said, adding that parity was needed.
Trinamul leader Sudip Bandopadhyay on Monday supported the measure, saying the Prime Minister had “the right to appoint any officer who he feels fit... in the greater interests of better governance”. Mr Roy was not present in the House at the time of the Bill’s passage.
The discussion saw those opposing the Bill to replace an Ordinance walking out of the House.
But they maintained that they are not casting any doubt on the integrity and honesty of the person concerned. They claimed that they were against the flouting of “democratic norms and procedures”.
