New Delhi, June 21: The fund requirement of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for 1998-99 is estimated at Rs 26 crore, which would be raised through a proposed 0.15 per cent levy on revenues of all telecom-service providers, the major ones being department of telecommunications (DoT), Mahanagar Telephone Nigam (MTNL) and Videsh Sanchar Nigam (VSNL).With revenues of telecom-service providers totalling Rs 19,000 crore in 1996-97, the authority is expected to mobilise over Rs 28 crore in 1998-99.
DoT's revenue for 1996-97 was Rs 11,000 crore, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam's was rs 4,000, VSNL, Rs 5,000 crore, and cellular operators' was Rs 900 crore. DoT's revenue includes Rs 1,000 crore each payed to it by MTNL and Videsh Sanchar Nigam.
The finance ministry has also set aside Rs 6.8 crore for TRAI for 1998-99.TRAI's budgetary requirements for 1998-99 are Rs 22 crore and the authority intends to keep at least Rs 10 crore in the proposed `TRAI general fund' at all times to meet unanticipatedcontingencies, the authority said in its recently released consultative paper on TRAI funding.
"The paper is aimed at providing an opportunity for consultations with the service providers - the main party affected by the proposal," Telecom Regulatory Authority of India vice-chairman BK Zutshi said. TRAI, which was funded by disbursements from the budget last year, was advised by the finance ministry to "meet its expenditure from its own receipts (as prescribed in the TRAI act)."
Almost 50 per cent of the budgetary requirement is expected to be paid to the panel of consultants engaged by TRAI, the paper said.
The authority has also proposed a fee of Rs 5,000 for each petition submitted to TRAI and Rs 1,000 for miscellaneous applications.
These proposals will be discussed with the service providers and only then will a formal order be issued.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
