No new licenses for cell towers in areas under the jurisdiction of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation will be issued until payments are made for the illegal towers erected earlier, the civic body’s Standing Committee directed officials on Friday.
While cell tower companies had agreed to share all the locations where towers had been erected illegally, based on which appropriate fees and penalties would be charged, a senior corporation official told the committee that the companies had not provided correct data. Standing Committee chairperson Shikha Rai said: “If you are issuing new licenses then why will they [the firms] make any effort?.” The official said the cell tower firms argued that the security deposits were paid to the erstwhile unified municipal corporation of Delhi, from which any new fees should be cut.
However, locations of the cell towers were required for this as well, in order to identify under which corporation’s jurisdiction they now fell, he added.
Demanding that no new licenses be issued, committee members asked how long would the corporation keep losing money?
The official, however, warned members that the move could lead to chaos.