Illegal telecom network operating in India: DoT

About 500 illegal telecom network may be operating in various part of the country, a Parliamentary panel has said pulling Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for not maintaining data.

"The [Standing] Committee is concerned to note that the illegal telecom networks are mushrooming in the country. As per the cases reported so far 500 clandestine/illegal set-ups are operating in various parts of the country. The actual position in this regard may even be worse," it said in a report tabled in Parliament here.

The Panel observed that such networks were present in 16 states with maximum of 120 cases in Andhra Pradesh, followed by 100 in Tamil Nadu, 61 in Delhi, 54 in Maharashtra and 31 in Kerala.

"Not only that they are security threat to the country, these illegal networks cause a great loss to the government because they need not pay the licence fee," the report said.

However, the panel pulled up DoT for its casual attitude in drafting response for it.

"The Department instead of collecting data and furnishing the same to the Committee has reproduced the already known information in vague manner according to which the raids are conducted alongwith the persons from Law Enforcement Agency and the cases are handed over to LEA simultaneously," the panel said.

The panel said that there is urgent steps required to ensure cases of illegal telecom networks mushrooming in the country are invetigated within the stipulated timeframe and the offenders held guilty are penalised.