AMC permits erection of mobile towers on open plots in city

Lokmat News Network

Aurangabad, Feb 19:

The Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) administration has taken a policy decision regarding the mobile towers in the city. Now, the AMC will be allowing the erection of cell phone towers on open plots owned by the AMC in the city

as well as reserved in housing societies.

There are more than 600 mobile towers in the city, out of which, 299 are erected illegally. The AMC has levied double-tax upon them. Meanwhile, the mobile operators are not paying any revenue to the AMC. The conflict between the AMC and the mobile companies over the double tax is going on for the past many years. If AMC seals any tower the mobile service in the periphery gets disrupted and the consumers make hue and cry. Hence the AMC has to rely on taking cursory action only. Besides, the AMC has observed that mobile companies prefer erecting towers on private properties whose structural audits are not done. If any untoward incident takes tower collapse take's place then it may risk the lives of people staying around.

The AMC administration took a policy decision in February. The AMC will now provide its open plots and other open plots reserved by AMC in various housing societies. Of them, permission will be given to erect towers on 10 per cent

plots in societies. The AMC claimed that the mobile companies were seeking permission to erect towers in open places in the city.

The assessor and collector of tax and the deputy commissioner Aparna Thete said," The ratio of erecting illegal mobile towers is increasing. As per the policy decision, the civic administration will get revenue against granting permission for the mobile tower as well as it will ensure that the erection of the tower is being done at the right place. Moreover, the height of the latest towers laced with advanced technology has also been reduced."

Thete also underlined that the AMC has okayed the proposal of collecting tax from mobile towers through a private agency in March 2021. Due to the pandemic situation, the collection was not privatised, but the AMC is keen on implementing its decision soon.