New Delhi, June 15: The money you unknowingly left with mobile phone companies will help enlighten you and others on your refund rights.

The telecom watchdog has announced a fund to protect and educate consumers on issues such as refunds while switching tariff plans.

The facility will fund programmes to make consumers aware of rules and laws meant to protect them. It will also organise seminars, symposia and workshops on the subject.

“Such programmes will help consumers understand what to expect when they change their tariff plans or include extra services like itemised billing,” an official of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) said.

Money for the fund will come from balance amounts left with telecom operators by customers who have changed services. According to Trai, around Rs 10 crore has accumulated over the past 10 years.

A committee will make recommendations to the authority on using the fund.

The telecom watchdog said “refunds to a large number of consumers of different service providers became due under various directions or orders issued by Trai from time to time”. But a significant amount of the excess money could not be refunded because the number of “those subscribers was numerous”. The service providers found it difficult to trace the consumers, Trai added.

The amount will have to be transferred to the fund by the service provider within 30 days of being directed by the watchdog.

“Retention of such excess money, which actually belongs to the consumers, will amount to undue or unjust enrichment. Therefore, the money should be used to promote awareness among consumers,” it said.

The fund, which will start functioning in three to four months, will also carry out studies and market research on how best to safeguard the interests of consumers.

“Trai expects the awareness programmes to educate consumers on the latest developments in telecom and telecom laws,” the official said.