Fresh policy framed for setting up mobile towers

Pradeep Sharma
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 16

The Haryana Government has framed a policy governing the setting up of underground and overhead connectivity and communication infrastructure, including the installation of mobile towers and dish antenna poles.

Under the policy, the state has been divided into five zones for the levy of charges for different infrastructure. While the Gurugram-Manesar Urban Complex falls in the hyper potential zone, the Faridabad-Ballabgarh Complex, Panchkula, the Gwal Pahari-Balola Complex (Gurugram), Sonepat and Panipat come under the high potential zone.

Karnal, Kurukshetra, Ambala, Yamunanagar, Bahadurgarh, Hisar, Rohtak, Ganaur, Palwal, Hodal, Rewari, Dharuhera-Bawal and Panipat Oil Refinery come in the medium potential zone. All other urban areas across the state have been categorised under the low potential while the rest of the state will fall under the other areas.

Now, digging every pit for the licence of right of way, the operators will have to pay an annual rent of 10 per cent of the collector rates of the respective towns across the state. For dish antenna (other than dish antenna installed under the DTH), the operators will pay Rs5,000 per dish antenna, for every pole erected to lay overhead communication cables/cable TV, the fee would Rs1,000 for new pole and Rs500 for existing pole.

The charges for the erection of ground-based mast and rooftop mast would be Rs5,000 per site in the other areas category. For all other four categories, the charges would Rs10,000 per site.

To erect mobile/communication towers operators will now have to shell out Rs15,000 per site in the first four categories while for other areas, the fee would be Rs5,000.

The new charges for the moveable communication towers mounted on vehicles (per tower for three months) will be Rs20,000 for hyper potential zone, Rs15,000 for high potential zone, medium potential zone and low potential zone and Rs5,000 for others areas.

The charges

• Dish antenna (other than DTH): Rs 5,000 
• New pole for cable TV: Rs 1,000
• Dgging pit for right of way (annual): 10% of collector rate
• Rooftop/ground-based mast (other areas): Rs 5,000 per site
• Other categories: Rs 10,000 per site