Award of STD Booth and PCO
Government of India Ministry of Communications
Department of Telecommunications 415, Sanchar Bhawan, 20, Ashoka
Road, New Delhi. No. 31-13/91 PHS
Dated:24th july, 1993 To,
All Chief General Managers, Telecom/Telephones,
The Chief General Managers, MTNL, New Delhi/Mumbai
The General Managers, telephones
Subject: Review of policy on STD PCOs. Under
the orders of Hon'ble MOS (C), the liberalised policy of allotment
of STD payphones enumerated in our office memo NO.31-13/91 PHB dt.14.08.92
has been reviewed with a view to provide greater employment opportunities
to educated unemployed. The following guideline issued for implementation
with immediate effect.
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GENERAL
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ELIGIBILITY
Only educated unemployed persons are eligible to apply
for allotment of PCOs. They should produce an unemployment
certificate from their local MPs/MLAs/Revenue authorities
of the rank of Tehsildar and above Employment Officer/Chairman
or Member of Zila Parishad/Panchayat or Village Pradhan
or Secretaries or recognised Social Organisations like Rotary
Club/Lions Club etc. who have jurisdiction over the locality
here the applicant resides. The educational qualifications
for the applicants are:
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For rural areas: 8th or middle school pass and above.
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For urban areas: at least matriculate or High School
and above.
Application is to be submitted in the prescribed proforma
enclosing the unemployment certificate and agreeing to the
terms and conditions prescribed by the Department of Telecom
for the operation of STD PCOs.
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SELECTION OF BONAFIDE PERSONS
A committee with a composition as given below will select
the applicants for allotment of STD PCOs after proper scrutiny
and verification of bonafides. As a check against possible
frauds, photocopy of the unemployment certificate may be
sent by registered letter to the issuing authority with
a covering letter requesting for getting it verified. The
committee will allot the available number of PCOs giving
preference to following categories of persons:
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Handicapped including blind persons
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SC/ST applicants
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Ex-servicemen/War widows
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Retired DOT employees or their dependents
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Dependents of Freedom Fighters
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Charitable Institutions / Hospitals
The committee will be fully authorised to allot STD PCOs
and also decided the location of the new PCOs
COMPOSITION OF COMMITTEE
The committee for allotment of the new STD payphones would
consist as under:
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Head of SSA Chairman
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An Officer from the Finance and Accounts Wing of the
Department working under SSA Head such as AO/CAO etc.
Member.
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Three Non-official members would be nominated by the
Ministry for a tenure period of two years.
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PROCEDURE OF ALLOTMENT
The committee will meet atleast once every month depending
on the amount of work relating to allotment of STO PCO to
scrutinise and select the applications from the eligible
persons for STD PCO allotment.
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LOAN FACILITY TO STD PCO ALLOTTEES
SSA Head will issue a certificate of allotment of STD PCO
to the allottee to enable him to seek loan etc. from scheduled
banks. SSA Head will also I provide all assistance in this
regard.
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EXTENT OF PROVISION
Upto 5% capacity of the exchange lines is to be reserved
for allotment of PCOs (STD and Local).
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TYPE OF EXCHANGE TO WHICH STD PCOS
SHOULD BE PARENTED
STD PCOs should normally be parented to an electronic exchange
only. In a pace which is served by electro mechanical exchanges,
a new 120P C_DOT electronic exchange or an electronic exchange
with a higher capacity with 16 KHs home metering capacity
can be opened and all STD payphones may be parented to this
electronic exchange. The call loggers working with these
STD PCOs would be opened on 16 KHz cycle pulse from the
parented electronic exchange.
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GENERAL CONDITIONS
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One applicant should be provided with only STD Payphone.
However, the existing bulk franchises will continue
to operate as per terms and conditions of their existing
agreement.
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All STD Payphones should be so installed that they
face public road/lane to allow free access to public.
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The opening hours of such public telephone would be
atleast from 6 A.M to 10 P.M.
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Terminal equipment used by the allottee should be interface
approved and they should not be programmable locally.
Simple call loggers / Charge indicators manufactured
by Hindustan Teleprinters Ltd. or other manufacturers
which are interface approved by the department should
be used. Use of stop watch will not be permitted (List
of approved charge indicators is being calculated separately).
(v)
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The allottee of STD PCO will be entitled 20 paisa per
call unit upto 10,000 call units, 15 paisa per call
unit upto in the range of 10,000 to 20,000 call units
and 10 paise per call unit beyond 20,000 call units
as commission for the total number of call units made
over a period of one month.
Procedure for recovery of security deposit and bills
from STD PCO allottees will be as under:
Two accounts either in a Public Sector Bank or in Post
Office Saving bank will be opened in the name of Department
of Telecom in which the allottee will deposit daily
the entire collection of the day after deducting 20
paise per call unit upto 10,000 call unit, 15 paise
per call unit in the range of 10,000 to 20,000 call
units and 10 paise call unit beyond 20,000 call units
as commission for the total number of call units made
over a period of one month. The A.O (TR) will monitor
the proper deposit of the amount by co-ordinating with
Bank / Post Office and will also ensure that all bills
in respect of these STD PCO are timely adjusted from
above account. The other account will be in the name
of the allottee and it will be pledged to the President
of India. The allottee will deposit 5 paise per call
unit in this account daily towards security deposit
and this deposit will continue to be made till the amount
becomes equal to Rs.5,000/- in respect of Urban STD
PCOs or Rs.620/- in the case of rural STD PCOs or average
one month revenue whichever is higher. In rural areas,
if the facility of Bank or Post Office is not available
nearby, the above deposits can be made weekly. The telephone
inspector and JTOs in the field will periodically inspect
and check the passbooks of PCO allottees for prompt
depositing. Defaulters, if any, in this regard should
be brought to the notice of higher authorities for taking
action against them. Lapses on the part of the field
staff during inspection will be dealt with severe penalties.
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The security deposit can also be deposited in cash
in one installment or be in the form of a Bank Guarantee.
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Rate of pulses should be displayed prominently by the
allottee of STD PCOs for all important stations in the
country and all stations within 200 Kms.
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The applicants have to apply in the prescribed form
for the allotment of STD PCO.
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The applicant should sign an agreement in the prescribed
form with the Telecom Authority when an STD PCO is allotted
to him.
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Incoming call facility will be allowed on all STD PCOs.
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Shifting of STD PCOs within the local areas is permitted,
normal shifting charges applicable to DEL will be levied.
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Periodical surprise checks should be done to see that
the allottee charges customers as per the guidelines
given by Department of Telecom.
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Guidelines for applying for PTs and rural governing
them should be published in the commercial information
pages of the telephone directory.
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Periodical advertisements may be inserted in local
newspapers, when sufficient number of application are
not forthcoming.
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RURAL
Apart from the general conditions the following have to be
followed in respect of rural STD PCO operation. The normal STD
PCO is defined for this purpose as one working in an exchange
system which has a total capacity of 512 lines and less:
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A minimum guaranteed revenue per PCO per month in the case
of rural STD PCOs is fixed as Rs.100/-.
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A security deposit of RS.6001- based on six months guaranteed
revenue or monthly average revenue whichever is higher has
to be deposited by the allottee of the STD rural PCO.. This
average revenue is calculated on the basis of the revenue
of the previous six months.
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Weekly billing cycle would be followed for recovery of
STD PCO charges.
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NON-RURAL (URBAN)
Apart from the general conditions above, the guidelines detailed
below have to be followed in respect of the STD PCOs scheme
in Non-rural areas:
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Atleast one STD PCO may be made available for about every
100 dwelling I Business Premises.
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While selecting the location for allotment of PCO, the
SSA Head will consult the local bodies like Municipality,
Public Institutions etc. to allocate convenient places for
the PCO Booths. The important places given below should
invariably be covered while selecting the location of PCO
booths.
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Commercial Housing Societies
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Resettlement Colonies
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Government Colonies
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Family Quarters of Defence Personnel
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Students Hostel
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Bus Stands
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Tourist Centres
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Airports
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Pilgrim Centres
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Railway Stations
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Charitable Institutions
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Hospitals
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Educational Institutions, Public Libraries
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A minimum guaranteed revenue per PCO per month to the Department
in the case of Non-rural (Urban) STD PCOs is fixed as RS.1600/-.
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The amount of security deposit will be RS.5,OOO/- or an
amount equal to the average monthly revenue whichever is
higher. The average monthly revenue will be calculated on
the basis of previous six months revenue.
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Fortnightly billing cycle will be followed for recovery
of STD PCO charges. If the charges are heavy, weekly billing
may be resorted to by local telecom authority.
(K. V Krishnamurthy)
Asstt. Director General (PHS)
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