Telecom regulatory authority of India on Tuesday asked Bharti and Idea Cellular to refund migration charges to their respective mobile subscribers.

Bharti and Idea were imposing up to Rs 250 as one-time charge for migrating to new tariff schemes. It has asked Bharti Cellular to stop the levy of Rs 50 and Rs 200 (one-time charge) being collected from its existing pre-paid and post-paid subscribers respectively.

TRAI also directed Idea Cellular to refund to subscribers an amount of Rs 249 charged by them for migrating the subscribers of post-paid Plan Buzz-99 to Plan Buzz-199 in the Gujarat circle.

The Authority arrived at the conclusion that the said one-time fee levied by Airtel on the existing customers is nothing but migration charges and the action of Bharti Cellular is violative of provisions of the 4th amendment to Telecom Tariff Order and TRAI's directive of March 15 2001 and 31st amendment to TTO.

It shall refund the said one-time charge already collected from the existing customers since the launch of the new tariff plans (25/26.8.04) by Bharti Cellular and henceforth will stop the levies being collected from its existing pre-paid and post-paid subscribers respectively. The regulator asked Bharti to report compliance to the Authority within 15 days from the issue of the directive. 

TRAI has also directed Idea Cellular to refund migration charges to its mobile subscribers in the Gujarat circle.On examination of a consumer complaint alleging levy of migration charge by Idea Cellular, the Authority found Idea Cellular had levied and collected Rs 249 each from the subscribers of Buzz 99 while moving them to another tariff package Buzz 199.

This is violative of the provisions of TTO (4th Amendment) and a directive dated March 15 2001 explicitly prohibit levy of such charges, it said. Idea Cellular has to report compliance on the aforesaid directions within 20 days.