DoT receives 40 to 50 mn consumer complaints annually, says Telecom Secretary

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) receives 40-50 million complaints a year, DoT Secretary Aruna Sundararajan told IANS on 18 July. Speaking at a seminar organised by CUTS International, Sundararajan emphasised on the need for a “strong consumer movement and consumer activists” in the telecom sector. A legal backing should be available for the consumers. “Recently when we were reviewing the grievances of the telecom sector… we have found that we have something like 40-50 million complaints,” she said. Later, on the sidelines she clarified that it is the quantum of complaints received annually. [caption id=“attachment_4770001” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”] Men speak on their mobile phones on a seafront in Mumbai. Image: Reuters[/caption] Noting the significance of government policies, the secretary said, “It is also important that in terms of the policy environment that we provide…we, rest of the stakeholders (other than telecom companies) also have equally important responsibility.” Addressing the gathering, Sundararajan batted for more disruptive innovations along with strengthening of consumer protection and rights. Chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India , Ram Sewak Sharma, who was also present at the event, was of the opinion that “quality disclosure and transparent norms are one of the most important components of service delivery.” He further said: “India needs Open Sky Policy and new technologies by promoting competition to ensure that players come up with solutions to provide quality telecom services for consumers.”