Guwahati, Nov 14 (PTI) An Assam-based consumer rightsbody has complained to the Department of Telecommunicationsand the TRAI that Reliance Communications (RCom) has abruptlystopped its services in the North Eastern region withoutinforming the customers.
The Consumers' Legal Protection Forum (CLPF) allegedthat about 12 lakh prepaid and postpaid customers of RCom inthe North East are affected since the company's servicevirtually collapsed since October 26.
"In its complaint letter to Manoj Sinha, Minister ofState (Independent Charge) Ministry of Communications and RSSharma, Chairman, TRAI, the forum stated that subscribers ofRCom of Assam and other North Eastern states are having aharrowing time since the telecom company stopped its servicewithout any notice," the CLPF which lodged the complaintyesterday said in a statement.
PTI had sent an email yesterday to RCom spokespersonseeking the company's response to the allegations. The emailwas acknowledged, but no clarification came from the company'sside even after 24 hours.
"RCom never informed (the subscribers) that it wasgoing to close down its business. There was no text messagenor any advertisement in newspapers," CLPF secretary AjoyHazarika said in the statement.
The telecom company has violated consumer norms bystopping their service without informing the customers, theconsumer rights body claimed in its statement.
"There are no prepaid vouchers in the market....
Postpaid consumers are having a tough time to transfer theirnumber to other service providers as they are insisting onclearing the bill first. But RCom has closed its bill paymentcounters already," the statement said.
TRAI on November 4 said that RCom has informed it thatthe company will shut down voice call service from December 1and its customers can move to other networks by the end of theyear. PTI TRNN.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.