Centre informs SC of measures against 'unsolicited calls'

New Delhi, Sep 21 (UNI) The Centre today informed the Supreme Court that adequate guidelines to curb the menace of unsolicited calls by Telemarketing companies have already been issued by the Government.

The Union Ministry of Telecommunication and Information Technology also informed the bench comprising Justices Tarun Chatterjee and Dalveer Bhandari that the Government has informed the telephone users to get their numbers registered with 'the National Do Not Call Registry'(NDNC) to avoid unsolicited calls from Telemarketing companies, which are an attack on the privacy of subscribers.

There is a provision for penal tariff of Rs 500 per call on telemarketers on such calls to numbers registered with the NDNC.

If the telemararketers persist with it their telephones are liable to be disconnected.

The Government can impose a maximum penalty of Rs 50 crore on the service providers for violating the terms and conditions of the licence agreement.

The Government has reserved the right to review its policy of checking unsolicited calls every year.

The petitioner Dr Harsh Pathak sought time to respond to the Government affidavit.

The apex court adjourned the hearing and granted four-week time to the petitioner to respond.

UNI