TNN | NEW DELHI | May 15, 2024, 01.48 AM IST
Government has proposed holding banks, insurance companies, real estate developers and brokers, as well as other entities, including agencies making ‘pesky calls’ on their behalf, responsible for contacting people through numbers that are not registered with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai).
This is the latest attempt by govt and the telecom regulator to crack down on the “menace” which they have failed to check for more than two decades through their poorly enforced initiatives such as the defunct ‘do not disturb’ facility. While Trai has also been talking about moves to curb the menace, none of the agencies have so far put in place norms to deal with sale of personal data that is used by banks and realtors to make unwanted calls, often with a recorded voice hawking apartments or insurance plans.
Taking note of violation of consumer rights and treating unsolicited calls as “unfair trade practice”, the consumer affairs department held a consultation with stakeholders last week and circulated draft guidelines to deal with this problem. Sources said as per the proposed norms, calls made for business promotion from phone numbers other than the ones registered with the regulator would be treated as ‘pesky call’.
Sources said the department’s guidelines will primarily focus on protecting consumer interest and help them identify pesky calls. Once consumers lodge complaints against such unwanted calls with the National Consumer Helpline, action under the Consumer Protection Act would be initiated.
TOI has learnt that there would be three separate series of numbers — ‘140’ for marketing, ‘160’ for service calls and ‘111’ for communication by govt agencies to alert or inform citizens — so that people can easily identify the purpose of the caller.
The consumer affairs department has constituted a panel comprising of members from telecom industry, regulatory bodies such as telecom and financial services departments, Reserve Bank of India, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority, TRAI, Cellular Operations Association of India, telemarketing companies and consumer organisations.
The department said such calls not only violate the privacy of users but also the rights of consumers. “Most of such calls are from the financial services sector followed by real estate. It was also pointed out that spam callers are now switching to internet call, especially using WhatsApp to lure customers into ponzi schemes, crypto investments and offer job opportunities,” the department had said earlier in a statement.
