Sealing drive against unauthorised mobile towers to continue: MCD

Cellular services in the capital are likely to be hit with the ongoing standoff between the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the city's cellphone operators showing no signs of a quick resolution.

The corporation sealed 24 unauthorised mobile towers in the south and central zones on Wednesday with plans to continue the drive through the week. Telecom operators have in the meantime refused to pay the increased Rs5 lakh charge towards the regularisation of 1,532 unauthorised cellphone towers for which showcause notices have been issued by the civic body.

Operators said they would approach the Delhi High Court today for a stay order against the sealing action.

The MCD says that 2,952 of the 5,364 towers in the city were installed without permission and it has served showcause notices against 1,532 cellphone towers so far.

The agency's new policy requires all cellular operators to get their unauthorised towers regularised. They will also have to pay Rs5 lakh as a one-time installation charge, which is up from Rs 1 lakh that was being charged last year. In addition to the installation charges, the operators also required to meet the provisions set out in the guidelines under the revised regularisation policy.

According to the MCD they were ''going slow, keeping in mind the public interest'' so far, however further sealing action will be undertaken if operators fail to comply. The agency further claimed the revised policy had been drafted after taking all parties, including the operators on board and it could not be scrapped after being passed by the MCD House.