>>
Introduction
>> General
>> Redressal
of Complaints
>> Conclusion
INTRODUCTION
Department
of Telecom Services has come a long way since the Indian Telegraph
Act came into existence in 1885. The present-day subscriber has
access to any part of the world, literally, at his finger-tips.
The subscriber has facility of not only speech over the telephone
lines, but he can also transmit data of very complexity, at high
speed. The Department is continuously improving telecom facilities
by introducing latest technologies. There is a sincere effort to
provide better telecom access to both rural and urban areas.
With
advancement of subscriber facilities, the responsibility of the
Department has also become very high. To change the scenario from
a cloistered organization to a customer friendly one, the Department
has in the past few years taken many, steps. Some of these are :
(a)
More and more stations are covered by STD/ISD;
(b) Computerization of Trunk Manual Exchanges for prompt and efficient
service;
(c) Providing digital media for superior quality of speech, data
and other services;
(d) Introduct:on of Computerized Directory Enquiry Services;
(e) Addition of new services like changed number announcement through
IVRS (Interactive Voice Response system);
(f) National Directory Enquiry System through Inet (Packet Switched
Public Data Network-PSPDN)
To
further assure the resolve of the Department's endeavour to provide
better service, this Citizens' Charter is a small, but important
step. In the present days of consumer awareness, both the potential
as well as the existing subscriber should know whalhis rights are
and he should also know what are the commitments of the Department.
To
this end, the Citizens' Charter will help to bridge the gap between
the subscribers' aspirations and the Department's achievements.
The
Citizens' Charter encompasses all the services offered by the Department,
including Inet (DTS's Packet Switched Network), RABMN (Remote Area
Business Message Network), HV Net (High Speed V SA T Network), Internet,
V SA T Network, IN (Intelligent Network) services, videotex services,
in addition to the telephone service.
2.0
GENERAL
2.1
The Department, as a Service Provider, shall serve without discrimination,
any citizen who undertakes to pay all legally declared charges and
deposits;
2.2
The Department assures that the privacy of its subscribers (not
affecting the National Security) shall be scrupulously guarded;
2.3
The Department assures that the subscriber shall be entitled to
interact with the Department, either personally or through his authorized
agent.
3.0
QUALITY OF SERVICE
3.1
The Department hereby declares that, where technically feasible,
(i)
it shall provide connection to an applicant within the number of
days stated by the Department, after the subscriber has fulfilled
all required formalities;
(ii)
faults in the subscriber's telephone lines and instruments shall
be rectified within specified number of days (Please refer to para
12);
(iii)
it shall ensure local shifts and inter,-city shl'fitsr ofiefephone
connections are effected within the specified period, as per prevalent
norms (Please refer to para 12)
(iv)
the Department shall make public announcements of the Departmental
norms for various service conditions (Please refer to Para 14);
(v)
the Department shall make available to the Public in all Exchange
Areas, the Telephone Waiting List and a quarterly plan of providing
connections. This will be declared by all the concerned Telecom
(vi)
all plans and targets of the Telecom Circles shall be made public;
(vii)
when an OB (Order Booking) is issued, it will clearly indicate,
even in Technically Non-Feasible (TNF) Areas, the time-frame by
which the telephone connections shall be made available. The Department
shall also inform the applicant about the Technical Non-Feasibility
and anticipated period of connection (Please refer to Para 12);
(viii)
performance figures of the previous quarter pertaining to each Secondary
Switching Area shall be made public;
3.2
The Department shall ensure that a subscriber, whose telephone remained
out of order for more than 7 days, after duly lodging a complaint,
shall be given a rent rebate as per norms.
3.3
The Department shall put up a board while trenching, indicating
the organization and the designation (alongwith the telephone number)
of the officer responsible for satisfactory closure of trenches.
3.4
The Department shall maintain all declared performance levels.
3.5
In case of unavoidable, large scale disruption of services, the
Department shall announce through media, information regarding such
disruption and also announce the anticipated restoration period;
3.6
Every subscriber will be supplied a Telephone Directory free of
cost, at the time of providing the telephone connection, which can
be exchanged, free of cost when a new Directory is issued, after
surrendering the old Directory .
4.0
ASSISTANCE TO THE SUBSCRIBER
4.1
The Departrllent shall ensure that services like Directory Assistance,
all service related information, Trunk Assistance etc. are continuously
updated and also maintained upto 90% level of efficiency.
4.2
The Department shall make available to its subscribers all legally
entitled information. The subscriber shall be given all such information
either from the Customer Service Centre or from the office of the
PabttcRelations Officer of the area;
4.3
Assistance Number shall be monitored for their performance and promptness;
4.4
The Department shall endeavour to keep the public telephones in
proper working conditions. The Department shall carry out periodical
surprise checks of STD/ISD/PCO to see that the franchisee charges
to the customers as per guidelines issued by the Department;
4.5
The Department will provide adequate number of lines for,Public
utilities like power, water, public hospitals, roadways, airlines
arld other public utility services;
4.6
The Department shall endeavour to make available directory enquiry/
waiting list on Internet in the country on the available Indian
Websites.
5.0
RELATIONS WITH THE SUBSCRIBER BY THE DEPARTMENT'S EMPLOYEES
5.1
All transactions with the subscriber shall be in an atmosphere of
cordiality and courtesy. The Department assures to deal firmly with
discourteous or rude behaviour of the staff towards the subscriber.
6.0
BILLING
6.1
The Department shall ensure that Bill to the subscribers shall be
issued within the stipulated time;
6.2
The prevailing tariff shall be made available on the reverse of
the Telephone Bill;
6.3
The Department shall ensure that the bills issued to the subscriber
give proper indication of due dates before and after late fee;
6.4
The Department shall attend to all complaints of non-receipt of
bills within a week of receipt of the complaint;
6.5
The Department shall endeavour to provide duplicate bills at computerized
service centers at pre-designated number.
7.0
LEASED LINE CONNECTIONS
7.1
The Department sha11 provide leased lines, subject to technical
feasibility, to anyone who asks for it, provided the proposed usage
is within the declared functionality.
8.0
RIGHT TO CHOOSE THE SERVICE PROVIDER
8.1
Where multiple service providers exist in an area along with the
Department of Telecom Services, it shall not come in the way of
aspiring customer choosing the service of any of the service providers
of his own choice;
8.2
Where multiple service providers exist, the Department shall ensure
smooth traffic through its own network.
9.0
REDRESSAL OF COMPLAINTS
9.1
The redressal of complaints shall be given paramount importance.
Priority toredressal of complaints of the subscriber shall be maintained;
9.2
The channels of access for the subscriber to redress his grievances
shall be publicly declared by the Department. .
9.3
The Department shall ensure that the designated grievance officers
are easily accessible to any complainant without appointment on
a specified working day of the week and with appointment on other
working day;
9.4
The Department shall ensure that every written complaint is acknowledged
within fifteen days of receipt of complaint;
9.5
The Department shall hold Telephone Adalats once in three months
to redress the complaints. Department shall also hold Open House
Sessions as and when required to ineract with subscribers;
9.6
The Department shall ensure that all personnel dealing with the
public shall wear badges indicating their name and designation.
10.0
TELEGRAMS
10.1
The obligation of the Department covers telegraph services also,
with declared limit of the hours of delivery;
10.2
For non-delivery of Telegrams or delayed delivery, the Department
assures to take proper redressal action and refund shall be given
within 30 days of the claim;
10.3
In Metros and other large cities, adequate number of lines shall
be provided for Phonogram Service for Hindi and English. It will
also be ensured that the waiting time to get access to this Service
shall be reduced as much as possible.
11.0
CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTERS
11.1
To facilitate friendly interaction with the customers, the Department
is committed to open a large number of Customer Service Centers.
Where computerization has been fully incorporated, the Department
shall open "Single Window Customer Service Centres", so that the
customer will be able to have all information/service from a single
counter;
11.2
The Department shall also endeavour to add more Customer Service
Centers, in addition to the already existing centers.
12.0
NORMS SET BY THE DEPARTMENT FOR TELEPHONE CONNECTION
12.1
The Department shall endeavour to :
(i)
set right faulty telephones within 48 hours;
(ii)
carry out request for shifting ofteJephone within the same exchange
area, in 7 days;
(iii)
carry out request for inter-exchange telephone shifting (in the
same city) within 15 days;
(iv)
carry out request for inter-state telephone shifting \lvithin one
month;
(v)
provide telephone connection within 15 days of issuing of OB (Order
Booking);
(vi)
disputes regarding bills shall be settled within a period of thirty
days;
(vii)
provide telephone connection, in technically feasible areas, within
seven days where there is no waiting list;
12.2
The customer can approach to 'Customer Service Center' if the above
norms are not met out.
13.0
OBLIGATIONS OF THE SUBSCRIBER
13.1
The Department also requests that the subscriber should ensure that
all dues are cleared within specified time;
13.2
The subscriber, on his part, shall not enter into any unethical
arrangemen'ts either with the employees of the Department or with
any third person/agent to avail illegal or unauthorized favours;
13.3
Mutual courtesy and respect are the hallmark of any durable iclient-
service provider' relationship.
14.0
CONCLUSION
14.1
Though this Citizens' Charter is non-justifiable, the Department
shall, all the same, strive to adhere to its ambitions contained
in the Charter, to ensure better service to the subscriber and towards
subscriber's satisfaction;
14.2
The implementation of the Citizen's Charter is certain to forge
an enduring relationship between the Department of Telecom Services
and the subscribers;
14.3
The Department shall make every effort towards the irnplementation
of this Citizens' Charter. It shall also continuously update the
Charter towards improvement of the same, taking into account the
Feedback received from its subscribers from time to time.
All
the services and commitments will be honoured without the citizen
having to pay any bribe.
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