The government may modify the existing verification norms for cellphone operators.
NEW DELHI: The government may modify the existing verification norms for cellphone operators. According to official sources, cellular operators may not be required to physically verify residential addresses of all their subscribers but carry out sample checks of 10-15% of their client base to ensure they have correct information, especially about holders of pre-paid cards.
Besides, the operators should be in possession of all necessary documents (voter's identity card, PAN card, photo credit card or passport) of every subscriber so that the papers can be given to the security agencies on demand. There is also a suggestion that prospective customers should be asked to provide reference from an existing subscriber of the same operator.
For example, if you want an Airtel connection, you have to be referred to by a person who's already a subscriber of that network. Broadly, some of these points are in line with cellular industry's proposals that have been sent in response to DoT's show-cause notice. The government has been concerned over growing terror attacks and wants to ensure that security agencies quickly nab terrorists who are likely to use a large number of pre-paid cellular cards from different operators.