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Government sets up 'telecom services board'

As a step towards corporatisation of the Department of Telecommunications, the government has decided to constitute a 'telecom services board'.

The proposed board may later be converted into a corporation, Telecommunications Secretary Anil Kumar told reporters in New Delhi today.

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Kumar said to work out the modalities of the board, a working group is being set up that will draw up its operational details and submit its recommendations to the government within 30 days.

The board, Kumar said, would be different from the existing Telecom Commission and would only take care of the operational services of the telecom department. The policy planning part will continue to be looked after by the department itself, he added.

In reply to a question, the telecom secretary said no decision has been taken yet on the request of the Tamil Nadu government to bring the state telecom circle under the purview of MTNL.

In the meantime, the central government has constituted a group on telecommunications that will make recommendations on the proposed telecom policy, the issues relating to the existing licensees of basic and cellular services and on issues relating to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.

The group, to be headed by Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Jaswant Singh and 11 other members, has been formed on the directions of the prime minister in the context of his announcement to this effect on October 24, Kumar revealed.

He said that in making recommendations, the group might hold discussions with people in the industry, trade as well as in the telecom sector.

He said the group would submit its recommendations to the prime minister at the earliest, adding that it would be serviced by DoT.

UNI

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