The Hindu Business Line : TRAI seeks fresh World Bank loan

THE Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has applied for a fresh loan of $3 million (around Rs 14 crore) from the World Bank for undertaking consultative studies on regulatory issues and training its staff.

The move comes after the Government refused to extend the tenure for a $4.4-million World Bank loan taken by the telecom regulator in 2000.

The earlier loan, part of a $62-million India specific Telecommunications Sector Reform Technical Assistance Project, was for a four-year period ending December 2004. The amount was supposed to be used for strengthening TRAI's institutional capabilities. However, the regulator was unable to spend the allocated amount during the four years on grounds that the time was lost in identifying experts in the relevant areas of consultative studies and also because additional responsibilities of broadcasting and cable service was entrusted to it. TRAI has surrendered close to $2 million from the earlier loan.

TRAI has also requested the Government for extending the World Bank loan up to March 31, 2006, which was not agreed to. However, since the World Bank has agreed to continue its initiative for developing Indian telecom sector, the regulator has now submitted a fresh proposal.

The Parliamentary standing committee on information technology has urged the regulator to utilise all the resources at its disposal for upgrading the knowledge base of the organisation.

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