AUGUST 20248TRAI URGES SERVICE PROVIDERS TO ADOPT BLOCKCHAIN DLT TO COUNTER SPAMONGC TO BOOST GAS PRODUCTION IN TRIPURA TO FEED POWER FACILITIESThe telecom regulator has directed service providers and telemarketing companies to take immediate action against enterprises engaging in bulk calling through 10-digit numbers and to deploy technical solutions capable of tracing and blocking such calls.Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has intensified operations to increase gas production in Tripura to feed power generation plants in the northeastern state, an official added. The decision comes amid reports of a reduction in gas supply to various gas-based power generation plants in the state.The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued this directive on July 24, requiring all telecom firms to submit data concerning unregistered telemarketers that have generated the highest number of consumer complaints for the April-June quarter.Consumers face a significant volume of robocalls daily from unregistered entities or telemarketers. These calls bypass the system because they use standard 10-digit numbers rather than the numbers designated specifically for telemarketing.Experts note that unscrupulous agents often obtain primary rate interface (PRI) services from telecom operators, which provide multiple connections at once. For instance, a single PRI connection includes 32 lines, and acquiring multiple PRIs gives access to hundreds of numbers.These numbers are then used with robotic dialers to continuously make calls. Even if a number is blocked, alternative numbers from the same PRI can continue to contact the consumer. TRAI has also highlighted certain number prefixes, such as those starting with 731 or 129, which have been frequently reported as spam by consumers. ONGC produced 1,527 million standard cubic metres (MMSCM) of gas in Tripura in the 2023-24 fiscal, while it has set a target of extracting 1,675 MMSCM gas in the current fiscal."ONGC has been working to increase gas production so that sufficient gas is supplied to the gas-based power plants in Tripura. We have already set a target of extracting 1,675 MMSCM of gas during the current fiscal year (2024-25) while the production was 1,527 MMSCM in 2023-24," ONGC's Tripura Asset Manager Krishna Kumar told PTI.He said that ONGC will dig as many as 20 new wells for gas exploration in the financial year 2024-25 and one more rig will be added shortly to boost the exploration drive. At present, six rigs are being used by ONGC to explore natural gas in the northeastern state."Due to rapid urbanisation in Tripura, ONGC is focusing on cluster drilling to extract gas by using old wells because facilities are already available there. Also, we don't need to get fresh approval from the state for gas exploration or extraction in those sites. There is also no need to acquire land which has become a costly affair," he said. TOP STORIES
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