DoT wants clarity that telecom users can move consumer courts

The DoT wants the proposed amendment to the consumer protection law to clarify that consumer courts can settle disputes between telecom operators and their customers.
The Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) is working on amendment to Consumer Protection Act 1986.
"DoT has said that proposed amendment to Consumer Protection Act should clearly bring out in respect of telecom service provision that failure of any service provider to provide quality of service would be considered as deficiency of service liable for grievance to be raised before the appropriate consumer forum," an official source said.
Customers at present have to follow a cumbersome process to resolve disputes with their service providers. They have to go through facilities set up by their operator starting with registering complaints with call centre, then approaching the nodal officer and finally going up to Appellate Authority.

The Department of Telecom (DoT) has suggested that Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) does not have the wherewithal to resolve individual grievances hence "TRAI may cede powers of consumers grievance to the consumer courts".