The Indian Express               28.06.2013

PMC to pull down mobile phone towers near schools, hospitals

Under attack for failure to keep a check on increasing number of mobile towers in the city, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) administration on Thursday announced that it would start pulling them down. The PMC will pull down the towers close to schools and hospitals as a part of its drive to make the mobile companies fall in line on the regulations for setting up towers.

Raising the issue of mobile towers being illegally set up in large numbers, Congress corporator Sunanda Gadale alleged failure in the duty of the civic staff and urged them to keep a check on illegal towers.

In a written reply, the PMC property tax department informed that it was charging tax on 1,040 mobile towers which includes 711 legal and 329 illegal mobile towers. The civic administration further informed that it expected a revenue of Rs 53.29 crore from the property tax on mobile towers which includes Rs 30.87 crore of the pending dues with the mobile service providers.

Pointing out the restrictions in government policy for setting up mobile towers, Gadale asked whether the PMC was following proper regulations while giving permission for mobile towers.

Municipal Commissioner Mahesh Pathak said the civic administration would take up a drive to get rid of mobile towers close to schools and hospitals.

Congress corporator Avinash Bagawe challenged the civic administration data on number of mobile towers. He said mobile towers need power supply and 3,025 electrical meters were installed by MSEDCL for mobile towers. "The power utility informed that at least two connections are provided from one electric meter. Thus, there are at least 6,000 mobile towers in the city," said Bagawe.

Similarly, the police has the IP address of each mobile towers and the list is more than the figure being quoted by civic administration, he said adding the failure of civic administration to keep tabs is leading to loss of revenue.