Ensure transparency in billing, consumer grievances: TRAI

New Delhi, May 4 (UNI) Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today directed the telecom service providers to ensure transparency in the telecom billing and speedy redressal of consumer grievances.

It also released a direction, regarding information to be included in the telephone bills issued to the consumers by the service providers, to be implemented from August.

TRAI has issued a Regulation on 'Telecom Consumers Protection and Redressal of Grievances Regulations, 2007' that makes mandatory for service providers to establish call centres within 60 days, appoint or designate nodal officers for each area within one month.

It has also directed the telcos to appoint one or more appellate authorities in each licensed service area within three months.

Service providers are also mandated to publish 'Manual of Practice' for handling consumer complaints which mainly provides for consumer rights, obligation and resolution of grievances.

One of the recurring grievance highlighted before the Authority is the lack of information relating to where and how to lodge grievances, the officials of the service providers to be approached for redressal of grievance and the time period by which the grievance will be effectively resolved.

The authority also said, in case, the consumer is not satisfied with the redressal by the service provider he can take legal recourse through consumer courts.

Disputes between service providers and a group of consumers fall in the domain of Telecom Dispute Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT).

Recent survey on Quality of Service sponsored by the Authority revealed that about 80 per cent subscribers have difficulty in understanding their telephone bills.

The consumers had brought before the Authority that the telephone bills issued by the service providers are neither transparent nor easy to understand.

Accordingly, the Authority directed the service providers, that the information such as applicable tariff plan, credit limit, security deposit and procedures regarding payments of bills, will be printed in easily readable font size and be included in the telephone bills issued to consumers.

UNI