Taking over his role as the new Chairman of the TRAI - Telecom Regulatory Authority of India - on Thursday, J S Sarma informed the authority's members that he would recuse himself from appeals pertaining to decisions he took as a member of the Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT), in order to avoid any possible conflict of judgments.

Sarma, who has had a long stint with the telecom sector, - as the Secretary of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Chairman of Telecom Commission - takes over from the former TRAI Chairman Nripendra Mishra who retired on March 22.

Sarma's decision to refrain from commenting on TDSAT decisions stems from the various cases of conflict between TRAI and TDSAT, largely because of the present policy whereby telecom operators have a right to appeal to the TDSAT against decisions of TRAI and the government.

Detailing about his plan of action, Sarma said he wanted to "ensure good quality of service for consumers and try and minimize disputes in this sector," along with "ensuring that the country is ready for new generation technologies and build investor confidence."

Talking public rows between the TRAI and DoT on important policy matters, Sarma said that he would not comment on the past, also adding that the two agencies acted in "clearly drawn" areas.