The Ministry of Law and Justice on Wednesday amended the Trai Act to allow former Chairpersons to hold Government jobs post retirement. This has been done to pave the way for Nripendra Misra to take over as the principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Under the earlier rule, the TRAI chairperson or any member could not take further employment under the Central Government or any State Government after ceasing to hold office. Misra, a UP-cadre IAS officer of the 1967 batch, was chairman of TRAI from March 2006 to 2009.

On Wednesday, the Government promulgated an ordinance allowing former chairperson and members to take employment two years after they demit office. The ordinance also permits them to get employed in the private sector other than telecom companies during this cooling off period. The earlier law had banned employment across all commercial entities.

“The Chairperson and the whole-time members shall not, for a period of two years from the date on which, they cease to hold office as such except with the previous approval of the Central Government except – a) any employment either under the Central Government or under any State Government; or b) any appointment in any company in the business of telecommunication service,” the ordinance stated.

Interestingly, it was Misra who had first proposed this amendment while he was the Trai chairman.

The Ordinance amends Section 5(8) the TRAI Act, 1997, which stated that the "chairperson or any other member ceasing to hold office as such, shall (a) be ineligible for further employment under the central government or any state government, or (b) not accept any commercial employment, for a period of two years from the date he ceases to hold such office."

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