Municipal corporations have no power to restrict telecom infrastructure: COAI

NEW DELHI: Telecom industry body has sought a withdrawal of a Delhi municipal corporation order issued on September 20, and said that local corporations have no power to issue directions to restrict location-based telecom infrastructure.

In a letter to North Delhi Municipal Corporation commissioner Sanjay Goel, dated October 21, 2021, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) director general SP Kochhar said, “we would like to submit that MCDs do not have power or authority to impose any location-based restrictions/requirement of additional permissions for the installation of telecom towers.