Unsolicited callers may soon have to pay heavy fine to victim consumers

By Naveen Kapoor
New Delhi [India], July 15 : Vendors and telemarketing companies making unsolicited calls to consumers may soon be required to pay heavy penalties to the victim consumers.
According to reliable sources, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs has initiated a consultation on imposing fines on those engaging in unsolicited commercial communication.
Ministry source told ANI that it is mooted that caller engaging in unsolicited calls will have to pay heavy penalties which can go up to Rs 100 per call. The money will not go into the government coffers but will be credited to consumers who received unsolicited calls.
Despite clear norms laid by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on unsolicited communication, consumers are still facing unwanted calls from vendors and telemarketers.
Although the TRAI has somehow controlled the problem of pesky calls and unwanted SMS with the DND (Do Not Disturb) registry.
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs recently put a lid on service charges levied by hotels and restaurants. It recently also cracked the whip on fake reviews driven and promoted by some ed-tech companies.