CONSUMER RIGHTS UNDER THE TELECOM REGULATORY 电信监管下消费者权益.pptVIP

CONSUMER RIGHTS UNDER THE TELECOM REGULATORY ACT, 1997 AND REDRESSAL OF CONSUMER GRIEVANCES By B.K. Sinha Chief General Manager Assam Telecom Circle BSNL The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997 NTP 1994, opened the entry of private sector in the provision of telecommunication services in India. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India(TRAI) Act was enacted to regulate the development of telecommunication services in India in the Multi-operator regime. One of the main objective of NTP 1994 was to provide telecom service of world standard and removal of consumer complaint with dispute resolution was to be given a special attention. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997 (Contd.) Keeping the above policy decision in mind while defining the powers and function of the TRAI under Chapter III, Clause 11, suitable provision were kept to meet the aspiration of the consumers and to redress the consumer grievances. Dispute settlement mechanism by TRAI was enumerated under Chapter IV of the TRAI Act 1997. Salient Features of TRAI Act 1997 to Ensure Customer Rights The functions of the TRAI shall be to: Facilitate competition and promote efficiency in the operation of telecom services. Protect the interest of consumers of telecommunication services. Monitor the quality of service and conduct periodical survey of such provided by the service provider. Settlement of Disputes Chapter IV of TRAI Act, 1997 makes provision for settlement of disputes amongst service providers or between service providers and a group of consumers. It is to be noted that under the TRAI Act, complain of general nature about the service provided by an operator made by a group of consumers are usually looked into. Complain of individual consumers which is maintainable before a consumer forum under Consumer Protection Act of 1986, are usually not considered. Formation of Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal(TDSAT) In the year 2000, an ordinance was promulgate