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2 min readNew DelhiMar 12, 2026 03:48 PM IST
Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha has raised the issue of prepaid recharge for mobile phones in the Parliament on Wednesday, saying that telecom companies are perpetrating a “loot” in the name of the 28-day recharge plan. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said that prepaid subscribers make up nearly 90 per cent of India’s 125 crore mobile users, calling for transparency in the approach used by the companies.
During the ongoing Budget session in the Parliament, Chadha called for a longer validity on incoming calls if the prepaid balance expires, and an extension on the number deactivation period.
“If your recharge runs out, it makes sense for outgoing calls to be blocked, but blocking incoming calls is arbitrary. As soon as the recharge expires, neither can anyone contact you, nor can essential messages like OTPs reach your phone. In emergency situations, the person becomes helpless,” he said.
Prepaid Recharge Customers के साथ हो रही लूट का मुद्दा आज मैंने Parliament में उठाया।
(a) अगर आपका recharge खत्म हो जाए तो Outgoing Calls बंद होना समझ में आता है, लेकिन Incoming Calls बंद करना मनमानी है।रिचार्ज खत्म होते ही न कोई आपसे संपर्क कर सकता है और न ही आपके फोन पर OTP… pic.twitter.com/VU0LuRohKK
— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) March 11, 2026
The AAP MP also raised that the 28-day monthly recharge plans by telecom companies lead to the consumer paying for one extra month every year.
“The 28-day recharge plan is a scam. There are 12 months in a year, but you have to recharge 13 times (28 days x 13 times = 364 days),” he said in Parliament.
“The validity of the recharge plan should be based on calendar months (30–31 days), because due to this 28-day cycle, people end up having to do one extra recharge over the course of the year.”
The MP laid out demands on behalf of the users, asking for an extension of services on SMS and incoming calls up to one year after the last recharge.
“In today’s time, a mobile is no longer a luxury, but has become a necessity for the common citizen. Therefore, telecom companies should maintain a fair and transparent approach with consumers,” Raghav Chadha said.
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