MRTPC reprieve for Reliance Tele

The Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission (MRTPC) has refused to issue 'cease & desist' notice to Reliance Telecom, charged with failing to provide free incoming call facilities to its subscribers.

While passing the order recently, MRTPC chairman justice B K Rathi observed that the private telecom operator could not have provided free incoming call facility up to April 2000 in defiance of the Delhi High Court order, which had struck down the proposal in September 1999.

Besides, the proposal to have free incoming calls was also subject to the implementation of calling party pays (CPP)-based tariff by the department of telecommunication, he added.

As all the telecom companies have now provided free calls following the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) regulations, the case is only of an academic interest now, the commission observed.

The DG (I&R), after investigations on a complaint referred to it, had in its preliminary investigation report said the private telecom operator had adopted deceptive practice as it had failed to provide free incoming call facilities to its customers, as promised, in anticipation of the implementation of the Trai regulations.

However, Reliance had refuted the charges contending that the agreement to provide free incoming calls could not be implemented as the proposal was struck down by the Delhi High Court.