NEW DELHI, MARCH 17: The Union government will probe the "inordinately high" allowances and foreign travel expenses incurred by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India top brass.Top government sources said that the Central Government will issue a directive to the TRAI for furnishing full particulars in regard to the expenses and other financial matters of the regulator. In addition, the ministry of communications also plans to undertake a detailed review of TRAI's functioning.Union communication minister Jagmohan on Tuesday said that action will be taken against members of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) if they are found to have done anything in violation of rules."All irregularities will be looked into and proper action taken if anything has been done above the rules," Jagmohan told Rajya Sabha members, after they raised questions about the excessive expenditure incurred by TRAI officials during their foreign tours.According to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reporton TRAI, an expenditure of Rs 74 lakh was incurred by the TRAI on tours of eight top functionaries during 1997-98. TRAI chairman Justice SS Sodhi, vice-chairman BK Zutshi and other members visited Singapore, Manila, Hong Kong, Geneva, Los Angeles, Washington, Bangkok, London, Sri Lanka, Australia, Canada, Nepal among other cities during this period.The CAG has said that these amounts were 2.5 times the total expenditure booked under salaries. The report further says that foreign tours accounted for 90 per cent of the total expenditure incurred by TRAI on tours and travel.According to the CAG report, TRAI functionaries got a total per diem allowance of Rs 20.38 lakh in these trips. Under the rates of the International Civil Service of the United Nations, the highest paid service in the world, the amount would work out to Rs 10.97 lakh, the report says.The TRAI's funding requirements are to be met by the Central government under the Act. As per its provisions, the Central government may, after dueappropriation made by the Parliament by law make to the Authority financial grants to pay salaries, allowances and pensions payable to the chairperson, members and other officers and employees of the authority.Earlier, CPI-M parliamentarian Mohammed Salim raised an objection when minister of state for communications Kabindra Purkayastha sought to table in the House a copy of the TRAI Act, 1997. The CPI-M member wanted to know why there was an inordinate delay in placing the copy in the House.Congress member Pranab Mukherjee said the government should also lay a statement, spelling out the reasons for the delay. Prem Chand Gupta of the RJD referred to press reports on the foreign allowances of the members of the TRAI, saying these were much more than the entitlements of Members of Parliament. Jagmohan told members that he would look into the reasons for the delay in tabling the Act in the House.
