NT Reporter
Panaji
The state government has issued a comprehensive policy laying out the charges and approval process for installing mobile towers and related telecom infrastructure on government land, covering both urban and rural areas.
The notification, released by the Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communication, aligns with the Right of Way (RoW) Rules, 2024, and applies to all telecom service providers, infrastructure firms, and DoT-licensed entities.
Under the policy, applications for Ground-Based Towers (GBT), Rooftop Towers (RTT), Ground-Based Masts (GBM), and telecom poles will be processed through the Central RoW eService Portal.
The government has also announced a revised fee structure. In urban areas, facility providers will pay Rs 3 lakh for a ground-based tower up to 60 sqm, Rs 1.8 lakh for towers between 10–25 sqm, Rs 60,000 for rooftop towers (5–10 sqm) and small cells/telecom poles up to 12 metres.
In rural and remote areas, the charges are Rs 1.5 lakh a ground-based tower up to 60 sqm, Rs 90,000 for towers between 10–25 sqm, and Rs 30,000 for rooftop towers and small cells/telecom poles, with Rs 1.5 lakh applicable for small cells or poles above 12 metres.
All fees are valid for five years.
Unauthorised installations will attract penalties of 25% for regularisation within 30 days and 50% thereafter. Upon renewal after five years, charges will increase by 50%.
If the documents submitted by a facility provider are in order, permissions will be issued following recommendations from the land-owning department. In cases where applications are incomplete, the state designated department must issue an intention-to-reject notice within 45 days. Unresolved cases require a final decision within 60 days, and any inaction beyond 67 days will result in automatic deemed approval.
