Govt to place phone tapping system worth Rs 400 cr by 2014

The telecom ministry has been allocated a sum of Rs 400 crore for setting up a Central Monitoring System (CMS) to be used for lawful interception in telecommunication and the project will be completed by August 2014.

The telecom ministry has been allocated a sum of Rs 400 crore for setting up a Central Monitoring System (CMS) to be used for lawful interception in telecommunication and the project will be completed by August 2014.

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"An amount of Rs 400 crore has been allocated by the government for the CMS ... The project has three phases with a time line of 13-14 months each. The project is likely to be completed by August 2014," minister of state for communications and IT Milind Deora informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

Deora said that this monitoring system is being designed and developed indigenously.

The government is looking to set up CMS to help security agencies monitor and prevent unlawful activities in the country.

The Indian Telegraph Act authorises security agencies to go for lawful interception. However, unlawful interception is a punishable offence and the offender can be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years.