New Delhi: With the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill, seeking to replace an ordinance which removes legal hurdles in the appointment of former TRAI chief Nripendra Misra as principal secretary to the Prime Minister, easily sailing through the Lok Sabha Monday, the stage appears set for its smooth passage in the Rajya Sabha too as the government got the support of regional parties like the Trinamul, BSP, NCP and the Samajwadi Party.
The BJP-led NDA does not have a majority in the Upper House, and the Congress and some of its allies (RJD and JD-U) along with the Left parties are opposing the move to amend the law to “accommodate an individual”.
Read: Palpable anomaly in Trai Act rectified, says Centre
The regional parties — SP, BSP, TMC and NCP — have a collective strength of 42 in the Upper House, which will add to the NDA’s 64 to reach the majority mark as the bill comes up in the House.
The AIADMK and BJD are already supporting the Bill.
In the Lok Sabha, the Bill saw smooth sailing on Monday as the Congress, RJD, AAP and Left parties, that opposed it, staged a walkout.
The TMC interestingly made a volte-face, as at the time of its introduction last week its MP Saugata Roy had opposed it, saying it was brought “merely to give a government job to a superannuated Trai chairman, thereby taking away Trai’s independence”.
