"Rs 34,824 Crore Increase Without Any Oversight, Regulation": Congress Attacks Modi Government On Mobile Tariff Hike

The Congress party has launched a scathing attack on the Modi government over a recent hike in mobile tariffs by the three major private telecom companies—Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea. Effective from July 3, 2024, these companies have raised their tariffs by an average of 15%, impacting 109 crore cellphone users, which accounts for 91.6% of the market.

According to a statement from Congress, the hike will result in an additional annual expenditure of ₹34,824 crore for Indian consumers. The party emphasized that this increase was implemented without any oversight or regulation from the government or the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

The Congress party posed several critical questions:
1. How can private telecom companies unilaterally raise tariffs by ₹34,824 crore annually without government oversight?
2. Why have the Modi government and TRAI failed to protect the interests of 109 crore cellphone users?
3. Was the tariff increase delayed until after the parliamentary elections to avoid scrutiny?
4. Did the government or TRAI conduct any studies on the need for capital expenditure or the impact on profitability before allowing this hike?
5. Why do all private telecom companies have similar tariff increases despite differing profitability and investment needs?
6. Has the Modi government sacrificed public trust, as emphasized by the Supreme Court’s directive for active regulation in the public interest?

The Congress party demanded answers from Prime Minister Modi, insisting that the government address the concerns of the 109 crore affected cellphone users.