After Reliance, Airtel too wants towers at Sewa Kendras

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, November 4

Peeved at the reports of the Department of Governance Reforms allowing Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd to set up mobile towers at nearly 633 of its yet-to-be-operationalised 2,174 Sewa Kendras across the state, even Bharti Airtel Ltd has now written to the Deputy Commissioners of all districts seeking installation of its towers for 4G connections under the same policy of the government.

The Airtel’s request has gone to the DCs as they had been made chairmen of the district committees meant to facilitate Reliance Jio in selecting sites and installing towers at Unified Service Delivery Centres falling in Municipal Corporations, Municipal Committees and village panchayats in their respective districts.

A signatory from Airtel, Gurvinder Singh, has written, “We need to enhance the mobile connectivity in view of increased tele-density.”

The issue of offering land at low price to one company had been earlier taken up by CLP leader Sunil Jakhar in July last year when the state government had framed a policy on its own and directed the Municipal Corporations to allow the Reliance Jio to set up hundreds of high mast poles for providing 4G connectivity and low charges. Even the Jalandhar Congress councillors had then created furore questioning why 94 masts had been allowed to come up at a throwaway amount of Rs 27.74 lakh.

The policy notified on December 5, 2013 is now being executed for the Sewa Kendras too. Amit Raizada, authorised signatory of Reliance Jio, has recently written to the Special Secretary-cum-Director, Department of Governance Reforms, HS Kandhola, demanding allocation of space at 663 such centres.

The ICICI Bank too has been seeking space in Sewa Kendras for setting up counters.

Special Secretary Governance Reforms HS Kandhola said, “It is not that we will give space to Reliance and ICICI Bank. It is just that they were the first to reach us with their proposal. Other 4G players and banks too can pitch in to seek space from us which will benefit them as well as us.”