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Business News/ News / India/  Vaghela named Trai chief, set to take charge from 1 October
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Vaghela named Trai chief, set to take charge from 1 October

P.D. Vaghela is at present a secretary in the ministry of chemicals and fertilizers

P.D. Vaghela is a Gujarat-cadre Indian Administrative Service officer.Premium
P.D. Vaghela is a Gujarat-cadre Indian Administrative Service officer.

The appointments committee of the cabinet on Monday named P.D. Vaghela as the new Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) chairman, replacing R.S. Sharma, who was at the helm for five years.

Vaghela, a Gujarat-cadre Indian Administrative Service officer, will take charge from 1 October for three years, or “until he attains the age of 65 years, or until further orders, whichever is the earliest", the department of personnel and training said.

Vaghela is at present the secretary of the department of pharmaceuticals under the ministry of chemicals and fertilizers. Before his stint in the pharmaceuticals department, Vaghela was the commissioner of commercial tax in Gujarat. He is counted among the officers who played a crucial role in the rollout of the goods and services tax in 2017.

“We heartily welcome Dr. P.D. Vaghela as the new TRAI Chairman... The industry is keenly looking for the leadership and support of the regulator and government for creating a more stable regulatory environment," said S.P. Kochhar, director general, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).

The role of Trai chairman is extremely significant given the importance of the evolving telecommunications sector for the Indian economy, which then lends heft to the person occupying the top post in the regulatory body.

The department of telecommunications takes the final call on most proposals forwarded by Trai, but the telecom regulator’s recommendations form the basis of the sector’s final policy framework and, thus, carries a lot of weight.

Sharma, who is now 65 years old, was given a rare two-year extension till 30 September, a day before he was to retire on 10 August 2018.

Sharma has seen massive disruption in the telecom sector following the entry of Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd in September 2016. The telecom operator brought in massive changes with its cheap voice and data service offerings, leading to a sharp fall in revenues of other companies.

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Published: 29 Sep 2020, 06:58 AM IST
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