Pharma secy P D Vaghela to take over as new Trai chairman from R S Sharma

The Gujarat-cadre IAS officer has also served in the state as commissioner of commercial tax. He was also instrumental in bringing GST in 2017

The Appointments Comm­ittee of the Cabinet on Monday na­med P D Vaghela the new chair­man of the Telecom Reg­ul­a­tory Authority of India (Trai).
 
Vaghela, a Gujarat cadre IAS, will replace R S Sharma, who demits office on September 30, after a five-year tenure. “The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of P D Vaghela, IAS (GJ: 1986), secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, as chairperson of Trai for a period of three years or until he attains the age of 65, or until further orders, whichever is the earliest,” the Department of Personnel and Training in a notification said.
 
Vaghela is currently working as secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, and had earlier served as commissioner of commercial tax in Gujarat.
 
He was also instrumental in bringing the goods and services tax (GST) regime into effect in 2017. Sharma, on the other hand, will complete a rare five-year term at the office, after his tenure was extended by two years in August 2018.