MTNL to offer free incoming calls on roaming from Jan 1

Subscribers of state-run telecom firm MTNL will avail of free incoming calls while roaming across the country starting from January 1.

This was announced by Minister for Communications and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad today.

Currently, MTNL users have to pay roaming charges for incoming calls outside Delhi and Mumbai, where the company operates. Another telecom PSU -- BSNL announced such a scheme - free incoming calls on roaming -- in June this year.

The government has been trying hard to revive the two sick PSUs.

The event on the Good Governance Day inaugurated by Prasad also saw the launch of 22 e-services including the National Centre of Geo-Informatics and e-Payment Port, and inauguration of Wi-Fi hotspots at Har ki Pauri, Haridwar and Dargah Sharif, Ajmer.

Prasad also said the Payments Bank venture by India Post will be operational by March 2017. India Post has received interest proposals from about 11 financial banks and institutions for a partnership with the postal department for Payments Bank.

The solar-powered GPS enabled handheld devices were given to the postmasters in three circles - Bihar, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh by the minister today. A pilot will be done in these circles and subsequently will be expanded across the country.

These devices will enable real time transactions. The plan is to have 130,000 such devices, aimed at promoting financial inclusion in small towns and rural areas and tapping the huge demand coming from the e-commerce segment.

Deposits and withdrawals of savings bank and other equated monthly instalments and claim payments would be done electronically through these devices, which will to be connected through a network. Money would be credited on a real-time basis to a firm's or individual's account. For instance, cash on delivery (CoD) collected for parcels will be immediately sent to the account of e-commerce companies, while e-money orders will reach the destination post office instantly through these devices.