The lack of availability of 20-paise coins has made the new rate of Rs 1.20 per local call a non-starter for consumers. Consumer activist Shirish Deshpande of the Mumbai Grahak Panchayat (MGP) said: ``Where are consumers going to get the 20 paise from? In fact, 20 paise coins are hardly seen in circulation now.''

As if this is not enough, public call operators throughout the metropolis, who claim to be unsure of the new rates, have been charging whatever sum they think fit. At many booths, stall owners have put up a small notice advertising the new `rates.' But where they haven't, consumers are caught unawares and after making a call askedto pay a rupee more.

Even callers using the Coin Collection Box phones are not spared. At a shop opposite the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Powai, V Priya, a resident, was asked to cough up a rupee more despite using the coin slot to make the call. Similar incidents were reported from Chembur and Dadar by readers who called this newspaper's office.

PCO booth operators defend their rates saying they are not certain about the new rates, as the MTNL has not communicated with them. Shyamlal, who has a public phone at Borivli (east) and charges Rs 1.50 per call says: ``The MTNL has increased rentals and reduced the call time, so we have to charge more.'' And with callers themselves largely unaware of what the new public call rates are, they end up getting fleeced.

When contacted, Narayan Rao, deputy general manager (revenues), MTNL, said an advertisement was issued in several newspapers on April 30 giving details of the new tariff package. ``Further, we have asked all our nine area general managersto issue circulars to PCO booths. I don't deny that there is confusion. But we have our vigilance department to deal with complaints.'' The deputy general manager, vigilance, meanwhile, said specific complaints were being dealt with. He refused to reveal the number of complaints received since the new rates became effective. The MTNL chief public relations officer, A S Lele, too was not aware of the number of complaints received. However, he did not appear too perturbed by the fact that callers were being charged more than the fixed rate per local public call. ``A caller must complain to the local MTNL office,'' he said.

Meanwhile, Deshpande said the MGP plans to start an awareness campaign soon against the hike. He said, the MTNL's profits have trebled in the last ten years. ``In 1987-88, MTNL's profits were Rs 305.34 crore, and in 1996-97, they rose to Rs 885.25 crore. With such profits, MTNL should have spared the public callers,'' he said.

What's more, even STD booths have not been following thealtered rate structure and have been charging the earlier higher rates. Saying that the MTNL should have at least equipped itself for the transition, Deshpande stressed that it should suspend the new system till it is ready to handle the changes.