The government has approved a three-tier structure for resolution of consumer grievances in the telecom sector and creation of an ombudsman.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has written to Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan stating that it has not yet been apprised of the government’s decision on the proposed grievance redressal mechanism or ombudsman for the telecom sector despite a reminder, according to a news report.
Officials of the Department of Telecom (DoT), in a recent meeting, informed the Parliamentary Standing Committee that the government has approved a three-tier structure for resolution of consumer grievances in the telecom sector and setting up of an ombudsman, TRAI noted in its letter.
However, TRAI wrote that it has not received any communication from the government in this regard and asked the DoT to apprise it of the government’s decision on the said recommendations, ET reported.
“It is pertinent to mention that as per TRAI Act, the Government needs to refer the matter back to the authority in case the Government has taken any view other than the recommendations made by TRAI,” the regulator wrote in the letter, as per the report.
Why the need for an ombudsman?
The Telecom Commission in May last year had cleared the proposal for creation of an ombudsman under the aegis of TRAI to resolve subscriber complaints.
It had also stated that the necessary amendments will be initiated in the TRAI Act for effective enforcement of a new three-tier complaint redressal mechanism in the telecom sector.
