HC refuses to hear petition alleging poor MTNL mobile services
The Delhi High Court has refused to entertain a petition seeking a direction to the state-owned telecom company MTNL to improve the quality of its mobile services.
By PTI |
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has refused to entertain a petition seeking a direction to the state-owned telecom company MTNL to improve the quality of its mobile services.
"You (petitioner) have got equally efficacious remedy. You go to the TDSAT (telecom tribunal) which has got technical expertise as well as the judicial power to deal with such issues," Justice Gita Mittal said, asking the petitioner to withdraw her plea.
"Your grievances can be adjudicated in a proper manner there (TDSAT)," the bench said when petitioner Anjana Jain, a social worker, fervently pleaded for court's intervention on the issue.
The counsel, appearing for the MTNL, alleged that it was a "sponsored" and "frivolous" petition and heavy cost be imposed on the petitioner.
The petition, filed through advocate Sugriva Dubey, alleged the quality of MTNL's mobile service has degraded due to the faulty and out-dated equipment in its exchanges, which was in the violation of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act.
According to the provisions of the TRAI Act, it was incumbent upon the MTNL to provide quality and competitive services to its mobile users, Dubey said.
The petitioner contended that the telecom company was not taking any corrective steps to improve the quality of its service only to facilitate private telecom players.
"Connectivity of the MTNL's mobile service Trump is so poor that the calls get disconnected while talking. And this is done to facilitate the other telecom operators such as Reliance, Airtel, Vodafone etc," the petition said.
"You (petitioner) have got equally efficacious remedy. You go to the TDSAT (telecom tribunal) which has got technical expertise as well as the judicial power to deal with such issues," Justice Gita Mittal said, asking the petitioner to withdraw her plea.
"Your grievances can be adjudicated in a proper manner there (TDSAT)," the bench said when petitioner Anjana Jain, a social worker, fervently pleaded for court's intervention on the issue.
The counsel, appearing for the MTNL, alleged that it was a "sponsored" and "frivolous" petition and heavy cost be imposed on the petitioner.
The petition, filed through advocate Sugriva Dubey, alleged the quality of MTNL's mobile service has degraded due to the faulty and out-dated equipment in its exchanges, which was in the violation of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act.
According to the provisions of the TRAI Act, it was incumbent upon the MTNL to provide quality and competitive services to its mobile users, Dubey said.
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The petitioner contended that the telecom company was not taking any corrective steps to improve the quality of its service only to facilitate private telecom players.
"Connectivity of the MTNL's mobile service Trump is so poor that the calls get disconnected while talking. And this is done to facilitate the other telecom operators such as Reliance, Airtel, Vodafone etc," the petition said.
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