According to M.F. Farooqui, secretary, Department of Telecommunications (DoT), government is working towards creating the required policy framework for ensuring effective monitoring of customer services. Consumers can look forward to better telecom services in 2014 with the government aiming to firm up new guidelines to boost the existing system of monitoring telecom services provided by the operators.
While the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) monitors the services provided to consumers, users often face various issues in getting their grievances addressed properly, including those related to false billing. Currently, a subscriber needs to call customer care centre of the service provider to register a complaint. In case customers are not satisfied with the response received from the operator, the user can approach nodal officers and finally the appellate authority to get their grievances addressed. To further strengthen this system, the Department of Telecommunications is working on implementing a new helpline number 1037, which will serve as an additional avenue for consumers to register their complaints.
Earlier, a ruling of the Supreme Court in 2009 had held that section 7B of the Indian Telegraph Act of 1885 barred a consumer from seeking remedy under the consumer act. As a result the complaint could be settled only between the subscriber and the telecom company. However, the National Telecom Policy (NTP) 2012 mentions changes in existing rules to ?bring disputes between telecom consumers and service providers within the jurisdiction of Consumer Forums established under Consumer Protection Act.?
Farooqui has emphasised that NTP 2012 is a long term policy and the DoT is gradually working towards achieving the objectives outlined in NTP 2012. In fact, for the second quarter ended June 30, 2013, TRAI imposed a cumulative penalty of
Rs 5 billion on nine operators for the alleged violation of quality of services benchmarks.
