Lok Sabha Question No. 254 (STARRED), answered on 2016-08-03
Subject: Re-verification of Mobile Users
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: R.P. MARUTHARAJAA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.254 TO BE ANSWERED ON 3 RD  AUGUST, 2016

## RE-VERIFICATION OF MOBILE USERS

*254. SHRI R.P. MARUTHARAJAA:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has directed all mobile companies to wrap up the reverification of mobile users in various States including Tamil Nadu;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (c) the deadline fixed for the same; and
- (d) the  action  taken  and  penalties  imposed  for  violation  of  verification  norms, company-wise?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS & MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

- (a) to (d) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

Contd…2/-

STATEMENT  TO  BE  LAID  ON  THE  TABLE  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA  IN  RESPECT  OF PARTS (a) TO (d) OF LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 254  FOR 3 RD  AUGUST, 2016 REGARDING 'RE-VERIFICATION OF MOBILE USERS'.

(a) to (c) Madam, re-verification of documents for existing mobile subscribers has been taken up by Department of Telecommunications (DoT) twice during the last ten years across the country including Tamil Nadu.

In November 2006, in order to ensure that the complete subscriber information is  available  with  all  the  service  providers  and  the  same  is  duly  verified,  DoT  had issued instructions that each Licensee should take up the re-verification of the existing subscribers on priority and to complete re-verification by 31.03.2007. By re-verification it was meant that there should be 100% check of Customer Acquisition Form (CAF), documentary  proof  of  identity  and  documentary  proof  of  address  and  it  would  be ensured  that  the  subscriber  information  available  in  service  provider's  database matches with that in CAF and enclosed documents. This was required as the same is being used by security agencies for traceability purposes. Further the licensee had to cross-verify the information from the actual user by calling the respective subscriber. There  should  not  be  any  connection  working  after  31.03.2007  in  the  Licensee's network without having above subscriber information duly verified.

In September 2009, on the instructions of DoT, the exercise of re-verification was again carried out by Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) w.e.f from 01.11.2009 till 31.03.2011 so as to weed out the connection of unverified subscribers thus improving the security environment. At present, no re-verification is under way.

(d) Telecom Enforcement, Resource & Monitoring (TERM) Cells carry out sample verification  of  CAF  and  related  documents  of  the  acquired  customers,  by  all  TSPs, which brings out those non-compliant cases where the DoT guidelines pertaining to verification  of  subscribers  were  violated  by  TSPs  in  acquiring  the  customer.  For  all cases  of  non-compliant  CAFs,  TERM  Cells  have  taken  actions  which  include imposition  of  penalty  on  non-compliant  CAFs  and  filing  of  complaints/FIRs  against apparently  forged  cases  as  per  guidelines  issued  from  time  to  time.  In  addition,  in case of non-compliant CAF, Service Provider has to either disconnect the connection or submit the compliant CAF to TERM Cells within 72 hrs.

The details  of  total  financial  penalty  imposed  on  erring  TSPs  for  violation  of CAF verification norms as on 31.05.2016, TSP wise, are enclosed at Annexure-I .

Contd…3/-

## Annexure-I

## TSP-wise details total financial penalty imposed on different TSPs for violation of CAF verification norms as on 31.05.2016

| Sr. No.   | Telecom Service Provider   |   Total Sum of Financial Graded CAF Penalty imposed (Rs. in crores) (As on 31.05.2016) |
|-----------|----------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1         | Aircel/Dishnet             |                                                                                 108.82 |
| 2         | Airtel/BHL                 |                                                                                 300.34 |
| 3         | BSNL                       |                                                                                 583.09 |
| 4         | Etisalat/Allianz/AIPL      |                                                                                   0.62 |
| 5         | Idea/ABTL                  |                                                                                 218.04 |
| 6         | Loop                       |                                                                                   0.55 |
| 7         | MTNL                       |                                                                                  10.13 |
| 8         | QTL/HFCL                   |                                                                                  19.03 |
| 9         | Reliance                   |                                                                                 377.51 |
| 10        | SSTL (MTS)                 |                                                                                  53.14 |
| 11        | STEL                       |                                                                                  10.92 |
| 12        | Telenor/Telewings/Uninor   |                                                                                  15.32 |
| 13        | TTSL/TTML/Tata             |                                                                                 328.15 |
| 14        | Videocon                   |                                                                                   1.76 |
| 15        | Vodafone                   |                                                                                 285.62 |
|           | Grand Total                |                                                                                2313.05 |

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