A former TRAI chief, who appeared before a Parliamentary panel today, rejected suggestions that private telecom players benefitted from his decisions.
Pradeep Baijal is learnt to have told the Joint Parliamentary Committee looking into the 2G issue that he took no deliberate decisions to benefit private players who crossed over to GSM technology from CDMA through Unified Access Service Licence regime.
Sources in the panel said Baijal, who was TRAI chief between March 2003 and March 2006, was asked whether his decisions benefitted companies like Reliance and Tata when they shifted
from WILL and CDMA to GSM mode.
When he was the Chairman, TRAI had recommended that the country allow all fixed line operators to migrate to a Unified Access Services Licence on payment of a fee.
He, however, told the panel that after retirement he did partner with lobbyist Niira Radia to work as a consultant for telecom companies and had around 30 clients.
Baijal told the meeting that certain decisions taken by the government and recommendations made by TRAI helped increase teledensity in the country and the subscribers benefited by paying very low tariffs.
This is the second appearance of Baijal, who has served as Disinvestment Secretary during NDA rule, before the JPC.
