Area Code 1655 – Raman, Punjab

Geographic Overview

The +91 1655 country/area code pair corresponds to a geographic numbering plan area in the Republic of India, specifically assigned to the city of Raman in the Bathinda district of Punjab. This code is part of the National Numbering Plan administered by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under the Ministry of Communications. Raman, located in the Malwa region of Punjab, is a small town and municipal council, and the 1655 prefix serves the town and its surrounding rural areas.

Dialing Format and Usage

To call a landline in Raman from within India, subscribers must dial the trunk prefix '0' followed by the area code '1655' and the local subscriber number. The local numbers in this area typically consist of 7 digits, making the complete domestic dialing sequence: 0-1655-XXXXXXX. For international callers, the format is +91 1655 XXXXXXX, where '+91' is the country calling code for India, '1655' is the National Destination Code (NDC) for Raman, and 'XXXXXXX' is the 7-digit subscriber number. Note that the leading '0' is dropped when dialing from abroad.

Administrative Jurisdiction and Coverage

The 1655 code is allocated to the Raman telephone exchange, which operates under the Punjab Telecom Circle of BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited). The exchange covers Raman town and its adjacent villages, including areas such as Rampura Phul and segments of the Bathinda district. This is a geographic code, meaning that the number is tied to a physical location, and call tariffs are typically based on the distance between the calling and called parties, though with the advent of full mobile number portability and VoIP, such distinctions are becoming less relevant.

Caller Instructions

For local callers within India: If you are dialing from another landline in the same STD code area, you may be able to dial only the 7-digit subscriber number. However, for clarity and to avoid errors, it is recommended to always use the full STD format: 0-1655-XXXXXXX. For mobile phone users, always include the '0' and the area code. For international callers: Dial your country's international access code (e.g., 00 from most European countries, 011 from the US/Canada), then India's country code 91, then the area code 1655 (without the leading 0), followed by the 7-digit local number. Example: +91 1655 1234567.

Overlay and Numbering Changes

As of the latest DoT updates, there is no overlay code for the Raman area; the 1655 code remains the sole geographic code for this region. Subscribers in Raman have the option to port their numbers to other operators while retaining the same prefix, in accordance with the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) regulations, which apply to both mobile and fixed-line services in India.