National Roaming Charges: MPs Urge Merging Of Maharastra, Mumbai Circles

In a bid to reduce consumer bills, 10 Maharashtra MPs have submitted a representation to Union Telecom Minister Ravishankar Prasad, asking for the merger of Mumbai and Maharashtra circles.

"Presently, Mumbai and Maharashtra are treated as two different circles. Users of Mumbai have to pay national roaming charges while travelling within Maharashtra and similarly users of Maharashtra using mobile in Mumbai have to pay national roaming charges," the MPs in their letter to the Telecom minister stated.

"In whole over India, including Kolkata-West Bengal, Chennai-Tamil Nadu, Hyderabad-Andhra Pradesh, etc. all states are treated as a single circle (state). Only in Maharashtra, Mumbai and Maharashtra are treated as two different circles and users have to pay the national roaming charges while travelling/talking in Mumbai and vice-versa," they argued.

They further said the Telecom companies are generating "additional revenue/ double revenue" from consumers by keeping Mumbai and Maharashtra two separate circles.

"The Ministry/Industry/Trai was supposed to make whole of India as one circle but for various reasons the execution of 'One India' is delayed," the letter read.

The delegation of BJP and Shiv Sena MPs, was led by Kirit Somaiya and Gopal Shetty, and included Nana Patole, Chintaman Wanga, Ravindra Gaikwad, Shrirang Barne, Sanjay Dhotre, Vinayak Raut, Kapil Patil and Sadashiv Lokhande.

According to an MP, if their request is accepted, consumer bills will reduce by Rs. 80 to Rs. 200 depending on number of inter-circle calls.