Unsolicited tele marketing calls have now been proven to be the great levellers of the cellular age, with even finance minister Pranab Mukherjee being at the receiving end of one, and that too in the middle of a crucial meeting between the government and leaders of the Opposition to break a parliamentary deadlock.
If any court needed more proof as to how intrusive these tele marketing calls were, they need only read on. According to those present at Monday?s meeting between the finance minister and leaders of the Opposition in Parliament, a heated debate between the two asides was ruptured by an insistent ringing of Mukherjee?s cellphone. When Mukherjee picked up the phone, it was only to be asked whether he required a pre-approved personal loan from a private bank. Mukherjee, not known for his sweet temper, was furious and loudly berated the caller. The Opposition leaders who were till then a little tensed up burst out laughing. ?While the atmosphere was a little tensed before that, the rest of the meeting went forward on happier terms,? said a senior minister present at the meeting.
While this particular call, to the finance minister of India, had a happy outcome, ordinary subscribers face irritating calls throughout busy working days from tele marketing companies. While no penalty has been levied on service providers, the telecom regulatory has suggested a penalty of Rs 500 on the telemarketing company for the first unsolicited call and Rs 1,000 thereafter.