Telcos fined Rs 2,757 cr for not verifying user IDs: Govt

Around 10,714 complaints and FIRs have been lodged with Police till October 31

PTI | December 3, 2012



The government has imposed penalty amounting to Rs 2,757 crore on telecom operators since 2009 for issuing mobile phone connection against forged documents, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Kapil Sibal informed Parliament on Friday.

"In respect of calender years 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, more than 2.4 crore consumer application forms (CAFs) have been audited during monthly sample audit and penalties amounting to more than Rs 2,757 crore have been imposed on telecom service providers," Sibal said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha.

The Minister said that around 10,714 complaints and FIRs have been lodged with Police till October 31, 2012 relating to cases where forged documents have been submitted for obtaining a mobile connection.

"Out of these, 8,786 cases are against subscribers who were found to be involved in forgery," Sibal said.

The Telecom Enforcement Resource and Monitoring (Term) Cells, under Department of Telecommunications, carries out monthly sample verification of CAFs along with supporting documents to cross check the compliance on photo, identity, address (PIA) basis.

Sibal said cases have been reported wherein law enforcement agencies and police have faced difficulties in tracing out the actual user due to lack of proper verification.

However, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued new guidelines for verification of new mobile subscribers which are in place since November 9, 2012, Sibal said.

Under the new rules, in cases where forged documents are submitted by the subscriber and originals are also forged, police complaint or FIR shall be lodged by the franchisee against the subscriber within 15 days of bringing this to the notice of the franchisee.

In case the franchisee fails to lodge a complaint, the licensee (telecom operator) should lodge complaint against the subscriber and franchisee within further three days.

If the licensee does not take action against the subscriber, TERM Cell shall lodge complaint against the licensee.

Besides, the law enforcement agencies can suo-motto register a FIR in case they find that forged documents have been submitted for obtaining mobile SIM under relevant provisions of IPC.

Comments

 

Other News

Not just politics, let`s discuss policies too

Why public policy matters Most days, India`s loudest debates stop at the ballot box. We can name every major leader and recall every campaign slogan. Still, far fewer of us can explain why a widow`s pension is delayed or how a government school`s budget is actually approved. That

When algorithms decide and children die

The images have not left me, of dead and wounded children being carried in the arms of the medics and relatives to the ambulances and hospitals. On February 28, at the start of Operation Epic Fury, cruise missiles struck the Shajareh Tayyebeh school – officially named a girls’ school, in Minab,

The economics of representation: Why women in power matter

India’s democracy has grown in scale, but not quite in balance. Women today are active participants in elections, influencing outcomes in ways that were not as visible earlier. Yet their presence in legislative institutions continues to lag behind. The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was meant to addres

India will be powerful, not aggressive: Bhaiyyaji

India is poised to emerge as a global power but will remain rooted in its civilisational ethos of non-aggression and harmony, former RSS General Secretary Suresh `Bhaiyyaji` Joshi has said.   He was speaking at the launch of “Rashtrabhav,” a book by Ravindra Sathe

AI: Code, Control, Conquer

India today stands at a critical juncture in the area of artificial intelligence. While the country is among the fastest adopters of AI in the world, it remains heavily reliant on technologies developed elsewhere. This paradox, experts warn, cannot persist if India seeks technological sovereignty.

RBI pauses to assess inflation risks, policy transmission

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has begun the new fiscal year with a calibrated pause, keeping the repo rate unchanged at 5.25 per cent in its April Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting. The decision, taken unanimously, reflects a shift from aggressive policy action to cautious observation after a signi


Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter