TRAI seeks opinion on having ombudsman for telecom sector -Governance Now

TRAI seeks opinion on having ombudsman for telecom sector

Consultation paper floated with a view to resolve complaints as telecom subscribers in India reach 1.04 billion

GN Bureau | July 28, 2016

#consultation paper #ombudsman #TRAI #telecom subscribers

“Should a separate, independent and appropriately empowered structure to resolve telecom sector complaints and grievance be established?” asked Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in its latest consultation paper floated on Thursday.

According to TRAI, number of telecom subscribers in the country has reached around 1.04 billion by June 2016. Number of complaints the subscribers had filed during the period of January to March 2016 is approximately 10.23 million, it added.

Noting that the regulator doesn’t have power to take individual complaints, and questioning the current complaint redressal mechanism, TRAI sought public view on whether the telecom industry needs an independent body or an ombudsman, having legal powers, to whom consumers can bring their grievances.

TRAI says, “Their (ombudsman) decisions are binding on the service providers. They have the powers to award compensation. They step in when consumers exhaust the complaint redressal procedure of the service providers. They prefer to play the role of a mediator and strive to find an amicable settlement between the consumer and the provider. An award following the due process is passed only when such conciliatory efforts fail.”

Currently banking and insurance sectors of India are having ombudsmen.

The last date to submit comments is on August 18 and counter-comments can be submitted by August 26.

Questions raised by TRAI in its consultation papers are:

Q1: Is the complaint redressal mechanism, as presently existing, adequate or is there a need to strengthen it?

Q2: Are there any specific changes that can be made to the existing system to improve it?

Q3: Should a separate - independent and appropriately empowered - structure to resolve telecom sector complaints and grievances be established?

Q4: If yes, please comment with regard to the organization; its structure; kinds of complaints to be handled and its powers?

Q5: Is establishing an Office of Telecom Ombudsman an option that should be revisited, especially given the experience of the past few years of increasing numbers of complaints?

Q6: If yes, how should it be created – the legal framework? What should be its structure? How should it be funded? What types of complaints should it handle? What should be its powers, functions, duties and responsibilities?

Comments

Other News

Modi inaugurates, lays foundation stone of Pune Metro projects

Prime minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for Pune Metro projects worth around ₹21,800 crore on Tuesday through video conferencing. Addressing the gathering on the occasion, the PM extended warm Diwali greetings to the people of Pune and Maharashtra and remarked that f

Wired for good: Building sustainable cities with AI

The First Industrial Revolution in the 18th-19th centuries ushered in a paradigm shift in how cities were imagined. Fueled by railways, factories and grids, and obsessed with speed and scale, it was an ode to efficiency, which spurred unprecedented economic growth. Now, as the Fourth Industrial Revolutio

How social media is reshaping elections

Since Brazil’s return to direct presidential elections in 1985, no candidate who finished second in the first round of polling had ever won the presidency. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, now 81, has just done it. What explains the comeback, and what changed in Brazilian politics to make it possi

Cabinet approves Dearness Allowance, Dearness Relief

The union cabinet chaired by prime minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved the release of an additional instalment of Dearness Allowance (DA) to central government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners with effect from 01.07.2026 representing an increase of 3% over the existing rates of 6

Cyclone Arnab strikes Andhra as warming oceans amplify storm risks

Cyclone Arnab made landfall along the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts in the early hours of Wednesday as a very severe cyclonic storm, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 125–135 kmph and gusts reaching 150 kmph. Its rapid intensification has raised concerns about how warmer oceans, global warmin

Counting matters but which ones?

The first instinct of public policy is to count. Its harder task is to count what counts. We have become remarkably good at measuring the reach of the welfare state vis-à-vis beneficiaries covered, rupees transferred, houses built, connections installed and services delivered. But some of the most