NEW DELHI: The Telecommunication Bill 2022 is likely to be pushed to next year as it is yet to get inter-ministerial clearance, according to government officials. Certain provisions in the draft bill are clashing with the powers of other ministries including Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY), sources told this newspaper.
Recently, the telecom ministry gave a detailed presentation to home minister Amit Shah. It is believed that his concerns have been also addressed, and the home ministry has also given written comments on the bill. However, according to sources, the bill still needs to get clearance from the MEITY. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, minister of state, MEITY is yet to submit his written comments on the bill.
“There are certain regulatory issues, which are overlapping with the other ministries; therefore, we need to iron out these things. This is the reason the bill is taking time to get the cabinet nod. I can’t see it being introduced in parliament in the monsoon session. Maybe in the winter session or next year,” said the official.
The official further said the bill has seen several hiccups from the beginning as it covers several ministries. Initially, there were some overlapping issues with the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had sought clarity from the department of telecom on the inclusion of OTT Over-the-top) platforms in the bill.
The draft Indian Telecommunication Bill that was introduced by the telecom ministry in September 2022 proposes to overhaul the regulatory and legal ecosystem of the telecom sector. The government has proposed many changes in the draft bill including the right to waive partly or fully any fee, including license fees, entry fees, registration fee and more. The bill also proposes light regulation for OTT communication apps such as WhatsApp and Signal and others. The bill also had issues like possible dilution of the powers of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.
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