THE PTCL has recently increased its local call charges from Rs2 for every three minutes to one rupee for every minute, which means a three-minute call now costs Rs3, i.e. a hefty increase of 50 per cent in the total charges.

This became effective with the billing month of February. Before that, the company had reduced the duration of a local call from five minutes to just three minutes, a couple of years back.

Earlier this month, there was a report in your paper which revealed that PTCL had increased the rates without getting the permission from the PTA, which is mandatory.

This high-handed approach of the service provider has apparently not been challenged effectively by any government or NGO and it is apparently going scot-free.

The government must realise that with the backbreaking rise in the cost of living over the last three years, the lower and middle classes are in no position to bear such exorbitant and arbitrary increases in expenses, and PTCL is mostly used by people like me who find mobile phone charges beyond their means.

Higher authorities should look into the matter.

A SUBSCRIBER
Karachi
Source: Dawn
Date:4/27/2010