Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has appreciated the government of Maharashtra for setting up a committee under the chairmanship of the principal secretary, urban development department. The committee has been formed with the objective of resolving right of way (RoW) related issues by submitting its report within 15 days to the government, encouraging the speedy roll-out of telecom infrastructure in the state.
The key issues hindering the roll-out of robust telecom infrastructure across Maharashtra are non-uniform implementation of state RoW policy across municipalities and self-governing bodies; exorbitant RoW charges, access charges, restoration charges levied by various municipalities for laying of the optical fibre cable (OFC); the need for a structured aerial fibre laying policy aligned with the RoW amendment issued by Department of Telecommunications (DoT); rationalization of property tax on telecom towers etc..
This move by the Maharashtra government aligns with seamless connectivity roadmap of digital India vision.
Commenting on the move, Lt. Gen. Dr. SP Kochhar, director general, COAI, said, “We appreciate the initiatives taken by Maharashtra government and the deputy chief minister to resolve the industry issues that will lead to the speedy roll-out of telecom infrastructure. We are hopeful that the committee formed under the chairmanship of principal secretary, urban development will help in the resolution of industry issues. This is a very progressive step towards the realization of the ‘gati shakti mission’ of the government of India. It will help in making Maharashtra digitally advanced.”
