Consumer groups oppose Trai plan to scrap advisory panel for telecom complaints

New Delhi: Consumer advocacy groups have opposed the telecom regulator’s proposal to abolish the advisory committee and shift the appellate authority empowered to handle consumer complaints entirely to a senior management employee of telecom operators.

In its amendments to the draft Telecom Consumers Complaint Redressal Regulation, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) proposed to do away with the advisory committee, a two-member panel comprising a representative from the telecom operator and a consumer organisation representative, stating that routing appeals through the committee was making the appellate process inefficient and ineffective owing to scheduling difficulties and unavailability of members.