MUMBAI: Major broadcaster Discovery Communications India has filed a petition against Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) recent consultation paper floated on 16 August. The broadcaster has prayed for quashing the consultation paper terming it “illegal and arbitrary”.

TRAI issued a consultation paper on tariff-related issues for broadcasting and cable services, seeking stakeholders’ responses to 27 questions which covered different aspects related to the new tariff order (NTO), which came into force from 1 February 2019.

The petition by Discovery also asks to prohibit TRAI from proceeding or taking any further steps pursuant to the paper without following the due process of law. According to sources, the petitioner has served a copy to TRAI on Wednesday and hopes to get a listing on Thursday, 29 August 2019, before the Delhi High Court.

Amid several ongoing speculations on the change in NTO, TRAI chairman RS Sharma recently clarified that the regulatory body does not have any plan to revise the pricing framework. He also added that it is only trying to fine-tune it due to certain issues consumers are facing.