Justice Hegde is new TDSAT chief

The government on Thursday appointed Justice Santosh Hegde as the new Chairman of the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT), after his predecessor, Justice D.P. Wadhwa retired more than a month ago.

The decision was confirmed by TDSAT officials, who said Justice Hegde will start work from July 4, when the tribunal re-opens after a 15-day recess. Chief Justice R.C. Lahoti, they said, had cleared Justice Hegde’s name for the post in early May. But it still took more than a month for his appointment, partly as the court was scheduled to close soon after. As a result, TDSAT’s activities have been in a limbo since then. More than 90 matters crucial to telecom firms and consumers are pending settlement before it at present.