Indian Express 09.02.2010
Cost to install cellphone tower to be hiked under new policy
Tags : celllphone tower,
delhi Posted: Tuesday , Feb 09, 2010 at 0144 hrs New Delhi
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has framed a policy to regularise cellphone towers in the city. The policy will be tabled in the Standing Committee meeting of the civic body on Tuesday.The telecom companies will be given 15 days to remove mobile towers installed on schools, hospitals and dispensaries, after which the MCD will uninstall them itself. “The installation of mobile towers is not allowed on school buildings and hospitals under the present policy also. These towers will be removed but they will be given at least 15 days so that the network is not affected in the city,” Ram Kishan Singhal, Standing Committee chairman, said.
“We are planning to give companies two weeks to a month’s time to apply under the new policy. Some of the new norms that have been included in the policy are to make the owner of the building a co-applicant while seeking permission to erect a cell tower, taking permission from the head of department (building) and Residents’ Welfare Associations.
The civic body’s additional commissioner (engineering) had admitted that of 4,532 mobile towers in the city, only 2,015 have requisite permissions while the remaining 2,517 were illegal. Moreover, of 2,500 towers applications 1,600 were pending with the MCD while 900 were found to be completely illegal.
“The amount payable by the providers to the MCD for installation of a tower will be increased from the present Rs 1 lakh and vary between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 5 lakh. These new rates will apply to the legal towers also,” Meera Aggarwal, who heads the sub-committee for formulation of mobile tower policy, said
