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Mobile Recharge: The long-standing debate regarding mobile recharge plans in the country has now reached the government level. According to reports, the Central Government may encourage telecom companies to offer plans with a 30-day validity period more prominently. This step is being taken in response to increasing complaints from users who face inconvenience due to the existing 28-day plans.

Issue Raised in Parliament

Recently, Raghav Chadha raised this issue emphatically in the Rajya Sabha. He pointed out that under current plans, if a user does not fully utilize their daily data allowance, the remaining data expires at the end of the day.

According to him, if a user receives a daily allowance of 2GB but utilizes only 1.5GB, the remaining data is forfeited without any refund or rollover facility. He demanded that users be granted the facility to utilize their leftover data on the following day or during the next billing cycle.

Demand to Abolish 28-Day Plans

Raghav Chadha also proposed the complete discontinuation of 28-day recharge plans. He argued that these plans compel users to recharge more frequently throughout the year, thereby increasing their overall expenditure. Furthermore, he asserted that basic services—such as SMS and incoming calls—should remain active for at least one year, even after the recharge validity has expired. He also advocated for an extended grace period prior to the deactivation of services.

What Do the Government and TRAI Say?

Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia has taken cognizance of this issue and has directed telecom companies to accord greater prominence to 30-day validity plans. Meanwhile, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has already mandated that telecom companies must offer a 30-day validity option within their range of plans. However, the companies have been granted the autonomy to determine the pricing and other terms and conditions of these plans as per their own discretion. What could change in the near future?

If this government initiative moves forward, users may soon see more transparent and convenient recharge plans. Plans with a 30-day validity period will offer users the convenience of recharging on the same date every month, thereby reducing the hassle of frequent recharges.