Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Sunday welcomed the Centre’s decision to make telecom operators offer separate tariff vouchers for voice calls and SMS at a lower cost, calling it a “perfect example of constructive politics”. In a video message, he said the move followed an issue he had raised in Parliament during the Budget session on March 11.
Describing the decision as a step towards addressing concerns faced by prepaid mobile users, Chadha said he hoped similar issues would continue to be identified and resolved. He said such measures demonstrated how “constructive politics” could help address the everyday problems of citizens.
Under the Telecom Consumers Protection (Thirteenth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on September 22, telecom companies will be required to provide special tariff vouchers exclusively for voice calls and SMS.
These vouchers will be similar to existing plans that combine data, voice and SMS services, and will have a validity period of up to 30 days.
Welcoming the move, Chadha said he had raised concerns about prepaid mobile plans in Parliament on March 11. He pointed out that although a year has 12 months, consumers often end up making 13 recharges because many monthly plans are valid for only 28 days. He had called for recharge plans with a 30-day validity period.
Chadha also highlighted the needs of consumers who do not use mobile data, arguing that they should have access to voice-only recharge plans. He said he was pleased that the government had accepted this demand.
The decision follows Chadha’s intervention in Parliament regarding the validity periods of mobile recharge plans and the requirements of consumers who do not use data services.
