Justice Santosh Hegde

Santosh Hegde was appointed as chairperson, TDSAT on 27 June
2005. In this capacity, he will perhaps be best known for setting the record
straight that dispute resolution is not in the purview of TRAI. He also took a
step in making the service providers more accountable to the consumers by
allowing groups of individuals to approach the TDSAT for redress. He also played
an important role in the lowering of levy on private operators, and he was
appreciated by the industry for accepting that the levy of 6% of AGR was to be
only on the revenues that the likenesses earned from commercial activities
allowed by the license. While the reduction of tariffs now seems to be on an
auto pilot, it is the well-considered acts by people like Justice Hegde, that
are really behind the moving the telecom industry in a direction where the end
consumer is also benefited.