NEW DELHI: The newly appointed Rahul Khullar, who took charge as Trai chairman today, said he faced an “onerous responsibility” in his new assignment as the government prepares to come out with a new telecom policy after a gap of 13 years.

Khullar, former commerce secretary who replaced J S Sarma who retired, expressed the hope that he "would be able to make a good job of it," even as he refused to comment on his priorities.
 
He said he will fix his priorities after consulting with his colleagues. Khullar, who was due to retire in April next year after 38 years in civil service, will be in his new position till May 2015.

The appointment of Khullar, 59, comes at a time when India is moving towards cable television digitisation and some section of the stakeholders are wanting the deadline to extend beyond 30 June for the first phase in the four metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.
 
Khullar will also to facing the ire of telecom operators for the steep hike proposed by it in recommendations on spectrum auction for radio waves. The auction is to be undertaken before 31 August this year. The recommendation came in the wake of the 2 February Supreme Court order canceling 122 telecom licences issued in 2008.

Khullar had worked closely with then Finance Minister Manmohan Singh during 1991-1993 as his private secretary.

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