Telecom cos asked by HC to give mobile tower details in 7 days

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana High Court today asked telecom companies to produce within a week the complete list of mobile towers installed by them in the union territory of Chandigarh.

"Mobile companies have been asked by the High Court to provide details about mobile towers installed in UT Chandigarh within seven days," advocate Shekhar Verma, counsel for UT Chandigarh Administration, said.

The matter came up today before the division bench of Justice S K Mittal and Justice H S Sidhu of the HC.

Mobile telecom companies moved the High Court against the UT Chandigarh Administration which had yesterday sealed local offices/company owned stores of five cellular tower companies here for alleged non-compliance of the orders and other violations.

The petition was filed by Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) on behalf of five telecom companies -- Airtel, Reliance, Tata Docomo, Idea Cellular and Vodafone.

The companies argued that their offices were sealed without any prior notice by the UT Chandigarh Administration.

Verma said UT Chandigarh Administration has also assured the Court to deseal the offices of these cellular companies today itself after the court asked them to produce details about their towers.

The court has posted the matter for August 26.

In a crackdown on cellular operators in Chandigarh, the enforcement wing of the UT Estate Office yesterday conducted raids on the office premises and company stores of five major mobile operators - Airtel, Relaince, Tata Docomo, Idea Cellular and Vodafone here.

Yesterday, the Chandigarh Administration had said that the companies were directed in a notice in June this year to supply a complete list with addresses of all mobile towers already installed under the jurisdiction of Chandigarh.

They were told that if any tower installed was at the residential area under the jurisdiction of Chandigarh, the same be removed immediately failing which necessary action would be taken against the defaulter.