Business Line , Jan17,2009
The Chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India(TRAI) publicly criticised government for using TRAI only as an adviser, not as a Regulator. Its recommendations for good telecom industry in India have been ignored for years because of pressures from existing and aspirant companies. Ho, hum, everybody knew it all along. But yes, chairmen going public is something!
-- The myth of Regulation as an instrument of public control over private business is exploding in these days` newspapers and TV of US-Europe, which superciliously sold the ruse of Regulation to the lesser mortals of the world for decades. Their subordinate intelligencia in India - led by its prime minister- still go on and on about it. Indians have by now seen through regulation in electricity and telecom industry. And are there any other regulators around?
Regulators as a species are mushrooming in India - look at security markets, insurance, and now petroleum.
ReplyDeleteIf nothing else regulatory positions give retired babus and other parasites of the welfare state one more reason to practice what parasites are generally good at.