CHENNAI: A division bench of the Madras High Court has held that mobile towers can be installed as per the guidelines and stipulations made in the Government Order (GO) dated April 1, 2002, of the Information Technology department and the one issued later in 2012.
A division bench of Justices S Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad, which gave the ruling on August 22, directed Chennai-based Indus Towers Limited, to make a fresh application, in terms of the 2002 and 2012 GOs, for installation of towers (even if they are already installed), within three weeks. On receipt of the same, the authorities concerned shall consider the same and take a decision in accordance with law, within six weeks thereafter, the bench said.
When the senior counsel for one of the petitioners said that his clients had approached authorities concerned and that there was no response from them, the bench said that in those areas where mobile towers had already been installed without following the 2002 GO, the Collectors shall issue notices to the operators, directing them to make applications for installation of towers, within a week from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. On receipt of the applications, the Collectors shall pass orders on merits in accordance with rules, but not later than three weeks and issue directions in accordance with the decision taken.
The bench was disposing of two writ petitions, one from S P Loganathan of Tiruppur and another from one Kailasam of Namakkal, challenging the indiscriminate installation of mobile towers in their respective areas without permission from the appropriate authorities concerned.