Mobile operators are girding up for a new change. But a lot will depend when the Department of Telecom puts into practice the new penalty norms that the company announced to implement within a month time.
It is understood that this may bring to an end the practice of levying maximum penalty of Rs. 50 crores for even minor mistakes. Shedding lights on the proposed norms, a senior DoT official told PTI when asked about the status: “We are trying to get it notified soon…may be within a month.”
It is understood that the new penalty scheme was approved in March by the inter-ministerial panel Telecom Commission. And it has five slabs ranging from Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 50 crore, for violation of norms by mobile operators.
It is another story that they are yet to be notified. Once implemented the fines are to start with a warning: a penalty of Rs. 1 lakh for minor violation of norms. That is not the end of the story as it is expected to move up the ladder in line with severity. It might reach to Rs. 1 crore, Rs. 5 crore, Rs. 20 crores and Rs. 50 crore.
“We are constrained to observe that the DoT must learn that imposition of penalty is not a means for generation of revenue and to meet the financial targets and we regret to say that such orders can only be passed by someone who, safe in anonymity, feels secure from any accountability,” said the tribunal in the judgement
