The long-running debate over mobile recharge plans in India has now reached the government. Reports suggest that the central government may encourage telecom companies to promote plans with a 30-day validity more clearly.
This comes after many users complained about issues with the current 28-day plans.
Issue Raised in Parliament
This matter was recently raised in the Rajya Sabha by Raghav Chadha. He highlighted that in most current plans, the daily data expires at the end of the day if it is not fully used.
For example, if a user gets 2GB of daily data but uses only 1.5GB, the remaining 0.5GB is lost. There is no refund or rollover option. He suggested that users should be allowed to carry forward unused data to the next day or billing cycle.
Demand to End 28-Day Plans
Raghav Chadha also proposed that the 28-day recharge plans should be completely removed. According to him, these plans force users to recharge more often during the year, increasing their overall expenses.
He further suggested that basic services like SMS and incoming calls should continue for at least one year even after the recharge expires. He also supported giving users a longer grace period before their services are fully deactivated.
Government and TRAI Response
Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has responded to the issue and urged telecom companies to focus more on 30-day plans.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has already made it mandatory for companies to offer at least one plan with 30-day validity. However, telecom companies are still free to decide the pricing and other terms of these plans.
What Could Change in the Future?
If the government moves ahead with this initiative, users may soon get more transparent and user-friendly recharge options.
Plans with 30-day validity will help users recharge on the same date every month, making it easier to manage and reducing the hassle of frequent recharges.
