Raghav Chadha slams telecom companies for 'looting' unused data, highlights 28-day recharge 'scam' in Parliament

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): AAP MP Raghav Chadha raised an issue concerning mobile phone users in the Rajya Sabha. Chadha alleged that millions of mobile phone users in the country are being indirectly robbed daily through data plans.

Speaking on the subject on Monday, he described the entire system as a serious consumer rights issue. Explaining in detail, the MP said that when a user recharges their mobile, they receive 1.5 GB, 2 GB, or 3 GB of data per day, depending on their plan. However, this data is in the form of a "daily limit," which expires at 12 midnight each day. If the entire data limit for that day is not used, the remaining data is automatically forfeited and is not carried forward to the next day.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, he questioned why consumers don't have the right to use all of their data when they pay for it. He explained this with an example. He said, "If a person fills their car with 20 liters of petrol at the beginning of the month and only uses 15 liters by the end, will the petrol pump take back the remaining 5 liters? The answer is no, because the consumer has paid for the full 20 liters. Similarly, mobile data should be a consumer right and should not be terminated."

The MP also alleged that telecom companies deliberately promote plans with "daily data limits," while offering fewer plans with "monthly data limits." He argued that if there were a monthly data limit, consumers could use as much data as they needed throughout the month, resulting in lower profits for companies. This is why companies prioritize plans with daily limits. He said that today the internet is no longer just a means of entertainment, but has become an essential part of life. He described it as "digital oxygen."

He said that internet is required in almost every field like education, work, banking and communication. In such a situation, the daily exhaustion of lakhs of GB of data despite not being used is a matter of serious concern. Raghav Chadha put forward three suggestions and demands to resolve this. He said that every user should be given the facility of data carry forward. That is, the data left at the end of the day should be added to the data of the next day and its validity should not expire. Secondly, if a large amount of data is left at the end of the month, then the user should be given the option to adjust the value of that unused data in the next recharge.

This means they should receive a discount on the next month's recharge, just as electricity bills are paid based only on the units used. Third, unused data should be considered a digital asset and allowed to be transferred. This means that if a user has leftover data, they can transfer it to their family or others. The MP said that this issue is no longer just about data, but about consumer rights and digital justice. He urged the government to take concrete policy steps in this direction so that the country's millions of mobile users can get their due.