Mobile firms to be fined up to Rs 20,000 for pesky calls: Trai

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New Delhi, Apr 21: To curb pesky calls, telecom regulator Trai has introduced a financial disincentive scheme under which the mobile service providers would be fined up to Rs 20,000 for unsolicited calls. “To protect consumers from pesky calls, a financial disincentive scheme has been introduced. On first such call, the service provider would be imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 and the penalty would increase gradually thereafter,” TRai's informed the Delhi High Court.

However, the fine would not exceed the limit of Rs 20,000 per call, the telecom watchdog said.

The regulator's response came after the bench expressed dissatisfaction with the present system and observed that such calls are still to those registered with the National Do Not Call Registry (NDNC). The court also directed Trai to file its reply on what steps it has taken to prevent unsolicited calls made by telemarketers. “File a note on what steps you have taken so far to curb unsolicited or unwanted calls,” the court said.

The bench was hearing a petition filed by Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) and TRai challenging the Delhi state consumer court's order slapping a fine of Rs 50 lakh on operator Airtel and the COAI for their “failure” to stop “unnerving unsolicited” calls by telemarketing and banking companies to mobile subscribers. COAI counsel submitted that telcos have put in place National Do Not Call Registry to check such calls. However, a subscriber had approached the consumer courtsaying that the scheme has failed as such calls are being still made by telemarketers despite getting registered with NDNC.

To weed out such unsolicited calls, the court suggested the telecom companies that they prepare a list of those subscribers who are registered with NDNC and this list should be given to all service providers to check all unsolicited calls.