Two years on, TRAI still can't own its head office

For a regulator tasked with overseeing one of India’s most critical infrastructure sectors, operating from an office it does not legally own is an unusual predicament.

- Jatin Grover

Payment dispute with NBCC delays registration of TRAI's headquarters at New Delhi's World Trade Centre.

(MINT)

Nearly two years after the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) moved into its new headquarters at the World Trade Centre in New Delhi's Nauroji Nagar, the premises are yet to be registered in its name, with the process stuck over a missing no-objection certificate from the ministry of housing and urban affairs, three officials aware of the matter said.The delay stems from TRAI's dispute with state-owned NBCC (India) Ltd, under the ministry, which built the 1.16-lakh-square-feet office at a cost of about ₹450 crore. The developer has demanded a ₹57 lakh interest for alleged delayed payment by TRAI, leading to an impasse that has held back the mandatory clearance required for formal registration.