The DOT prescribes that a SIM should be activated by the concerned operator only after thorough verification of the address and identity of the client, as stated in the PoA (Proof of Address). But so far as Tripura is concerned, a consumer can avail mobile services of all the leading service providers duly licensed by the Ministry of Communications & IT merely by paying the prices applicable and without submitting any CAF (Customer Acquisition Form)/ SEF (Subscriber Enrollment Form), photograph or any proof establishing the address or identity of the former. This fact came to light in Udaipur, a town and nagar panchayat of Tripura which happens to be the head-quarters of Gumati district (formerly, South Tripura district) and situated at about 55 kms from Agartala. Udaipur is at a meager distance of about 25 km from the international border and approximately 32 km towards the west from the city of Comilla in Bangladesh.

The perilous practice of extending services to a consumer without any valid documents, on the part of the telecom service providers has been unearthed by the Eastern Panorama at an outlet on the Central Road locality of Udaipur which is found providing SIM cards of many a cellular service-monger comprising Reliance Mobile, Aircel India and Vodafone India Ltd. Such unlawful activities are rampant throughout the state where mobile services are activated without any provision of verification of the nitty-gritty’s of identity or address of the end user.

Any such loophole left by the service providers may account for undue advantages amounting to criminal activities or malpractices. The history of terrorist attacks in various parts of the country bear testimony to the threats to national security that loom large when fake identities have been used to avail services of any cellular service provider. In such cases, once the suspect mobile number or SIM Card number is established, the same is used by designated officials of the LEA (Law Enforcing Agency) to requisition the CAF/ SEF from the concerned mobile operator. In the absence of adequate assistance from the latter, as it transpires in the current scenario, the LEA may have to resort to alternate techniques like the Location and Call Tracking, to nab the culprits.

The DOT Audit wing named TERM Cells (Telecom Enforcement and Regulatory management) in each and every Telecom Head Quarter, viz. Guwahati for Assam Circle, Shillong for NE-I Circle (Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura) and Dimapur for NE-II Circle (Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur), carry out monthly/ quarterly documentation audits. Heavy Graded Penalties ranging from `1000/- to 50,000/- may be imposed on the operator depending on the proportion of non-compliance. Apart from the document audits of the DOT, the TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) conducts independent audits for all circles and impose penalties in the same vein, for not abiding by the guidelines. The reality and verity juxtaposed by the Eastern Panorama straddles the doctrine as an oxymoron.

Tripura, being a state which shares 856 km of international border with Bangladesh and being prone to infiltration, otherwise stringent measures should be adopted to ensure that there is no misuse of the easily-accessible services by anti-national elements.

As per the prima facie, the DOT regularly carries out field audits of mobile signals radiating from towers located within the radius of 10 kms from the international border. All such signals originating from towers of the MSPs (Mobile Service Providers) perpetuating beyond the international border, are trailed down to a prescribed specific level within the ultimate aerial distance of 3 kms, so that mobile signals do not cross the geographic international boundary. Routine inspections are also administered to stalk the signals emanating from foreign telecom operators across the border like the Grameenphone and the same are taken up diplomatically for rectification.

History does repeat itself but a stitch in time may save nine.