NEW DELHI: The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has been asked to give its suggestions on a draft cabinet note prepared by the Telecom Ministry to give greater powers to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to penalise service providers for failing to comply with its directives and rules and regulations.

An I&B Ministry source confirmed to indiantelevision.com that a note had been received, and had in fact also been sent to the Planning Commission for its opinion.

The Telecom Ministry in the note has stressed on the need for increasing TRAI?s jurisdiction to impose penalties through a transparent process for default in compliance with its orders and regulations as well as for non-observance of terms and conditions of license.

TRAI at present does not have power to impose penalties, though it can regulate and monitor rates, quality and other parameters of telecom and broadcasting services to protect consumer interest. The regulator is understood to have conveyed to the Telecom Ministry that in the process of its periodic performance indicator reports of service providers, it has often found telecom operators involved in billing disputes lagged in addressing complaints of subscribers.

Such lapses by service providers therefore can only be sorted out if TRAI chooses to file a complaint before a criminal court for adjudication of liabilities.

A Telecom Ministry official said after replies are received from the I&B Ministry and the Commission, the Department of Telecom will send the draft with the comments to the Law Ministry for placing it before the Cabinet.

The aim is to ensure TRAI can periodically monitor efficient use of spectrum and take action in case airwaves are being used inefficiently by service providers.