Special Correspondent
Panaji: The Electricity Department has imposed a fine of Rs 12.6 crore on five telecom companies, in addition to 18 per cent GST, for hanging fibre optic cables on the electricity poles in violation to the rules under the Goa Telecom Infrastructure Policy, 2020, and the Telecommunications (Right of Way) Rules, 2024.
The department has issued showcause notices to five more internet service providers/ cable operators and ordered to pay an amount of Rs 12.6 crore as penalty over and above the rental charges/ compensation.
The department has given the operators 15 days time to respond. The notices state that the applications of the companies for permission to put up fibre cable on electricity poles have been rejected as they have already installed the fibre cables without taking any licence or NOC.
There is no provision under the Goa Telecom Infrastructure Policy, 2020, and Telecommunications (Right to Way) Rules, 2024 to regularise illegal stringing of optical fibre cable on electricity poles.
The five companies are Green Fibre – Rs 3 crore, City Net – Rs 60 lakh, Edgecom Telecommunication Pvt Ltd – Rs 3 crore, Fastjet Telecom Pvt Ltd – Rs 3 crore, and Digital Networks Associates – Rs 3 crore. In addition, there will be imposition of 18 per cent GST.
Meanwhile, electricity department’s executive engineer Kashinath Shetye said that apart from the showcause notices, it will issue another 206 notices soon.
“Furthermore, we have already started removing overhead cables from the poles,” he said.
The junior, assistant, and executive engineers of the Electricity Department have been directed to clear all illegal cables and infrastructure from electricity poles, failing which a penalty of
Rs 300 per day will be imposed on them.
