We have not been informed by any of the sides on the extent of involvement of TRAI in this matter and what was the outcome of the intervention of TRAI referred to in the minutes of the Committee set up by MTNL in 2002. It is however clear that the revised charges of Rs.21,85,020/- were based on the report of a Technical Committee constituted by MTNL which was an internal committee. Since the increase from Rs.3,77,408/-, (fixed sometime in 2000), to Rs.21,85,020/-, fixed in 2002), represented almost a five fold increase we tried to see the justification and reasoning given by the Technical Committee. From Annexure-V we find that a major component of Rs.21,85,020/- is constituted by costs attributable to land (Rs.1569000/-). The break-up of calculation under this head shows that a sum of Rs.8,02,000/- has been shown towards maintenance charges of land at 16.04 per cent of the total cost of the land of Rs.50.00 lakhs computed at Rs.1,25,000/- per sq.mtr. for an area of 40 sq.mtrs. and an amount of Rs.1,67,000/- has been shown as depreciation charges @ 3.34 per cent of the capital cost of the land.
