Govt. revises guidelines for allotment of PCOs

NEW DELHI: The procedure for allotment of STD/ISD PCOs has been simplified by the Department of Telecom Operations (DTO) following suggestions from various quarters including observation from the Standing Committee of Parliament on Communications that the penetration of PCOs was low in many areas of the country. As a step towards this direction the PCO Allotment Committees were dissolved for the convenience of the aspirants and to cut down delay in allotment.

PCOs are now available liberally as per the eligibility criteria. War widows/dependents, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, handicapped, ex-servicemen, besides charitable and educational institutions and army establishments have been given preference under the revised policy guidelines. Wherever there is waiting list for STD/ISD PCOs the order of priority shall be war-widows/dependents, SC/STs, handicapped persons and ex-servicemen to the extent of 50 per cent of the STD/ISD PCOs to be allotted.

The field units have been given instructions to process the requests expeditiously and any deliberate delay or harassment may be brought to the notice of the concerned Chief General Manager (CGM) of the Circle who in turn will provide necessary assistance.

According to the revised policy, the educated unemployed persons, who would apply should be of 18 years or above on the date of application. There shall not be any upper age limit. The candidate should be atleast matric or high school and above for urban areas and eighth or middle pass and above for rural areas.

For DoT retirees the eligibility criteria is eighth or middle pass both in urban and rural areas. No educational qualification is required in respect of handicapped including mentally handicapped and blind, ex-servicemen, SC/ST and war widows in urban as well as rural areas. Educational qualification is also not required where charitable institutions, educational institutions and army establishments apply for STD PCOs.

The policy stipulates that one STD/ISD PCO shall be allotted to each eligible applicant. More than one PCO can be allotted in the same premises, if desired by the franchisee, in the cities and towns where competition from private basic service providers exist or whenever starts in future as per the existing instructions.

There shall be no specific percentage of exchange capacity earmarked for STD/ISD/Local PCOs. PCOs can be allotted to any extent of the exchange capacity in order to clear the waiting list wherever telephone is available on demand. At all other places 10 per cent of the exchange capacity shall be utilised for PCOs.

Wherever there is waiting list, war-widows, SC/ST, handicapped persons and Ex-servicemen shall be allotted STD/ISD PCOs in relaxation of the 10% exchange capacity constraints. Further, the STD/ISD PCO Allotment Committees functioning in the Secondary Switching Areas (SSAs) and the condition of average earning of the existing franchisees for allotting new PCOs stand abolished. STD/ISD PCOs are to be allotted irrespective of the amount of average earning of the existing PCOs.

All other provisions such as amount of security deposit, minimum guaranteed revenue, billing procedure etc. laid down on the subject and not amended now shall remain unchanged.