IT dept to collect fees for telecom infra, ISP cables
Govt has designated the department of information technology, electronics and communications as the nodal agency to collect from telecom operators land usage charges and application fees for govt and municipal land, including for the use of street furniture.
The department will also serve as the nodal agency for all right of way permissions and no objection certificates (NOCs) related to govt land, under a centralised e-services portal. A meeting on this was held on Thursday at its office at Altinho, Panaji.
Aimed at simplifying and expediting the approval process for setting up telecom infrastructure such as mobile towers, underground cables, and other digital connectivity systems, the move will allow telecom operators to accelerate the expansion of digital infrastructure in rural parts of Goa, the department said.
The IT department serving as the state-designated department for implementing the Telecommunications (Right of Way) Rules, 2024, is in line with the move to improve ease of doing business and enable faster, single-window clearances for the telecom sector.
Govt has now directed all the other state departments to appoint nodal officers to coordinate the approvals for telecom infrastructure.
Fees collected by the IT department will be transferred to the state treasury, while land use charges collected in villages and towns will be transferred to the respective bodies that own the land.
'Compensation for the use of public property for telecom infrastructure will be assessed and paid either once or annually, based on rates decided by the public authority,' the IT department said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
IT dept to collect fees for telecom infra, ISP cables
Panaji: Govt has designated the department of information technology, electronics and communications as the nodal agency to collect from telecom operators land usage charges and application fees for govt and municipal land, including for the use of street furniture. The department will also serve as the nodal agency for all right of way permissions and no objection certificates (NOCs) related to govt land, under a centralised e-services portal. A meeting on this was held on Thursday at its office at Altinho, Panaji. Aimed at simplifying and expediting the approval process for setting up telecom infrastructure such as mobile towers, underground cables, and other digital connectivity systems, the move will allow telecom operators to accelerate the expansion of digital infrastructure in rural parts of Goa, the department said. The IT department serving as the state-designated department for implementing the Telecommunications (Right of Way) Rules, 2024, is in line with the move to improve ease of doing business and enable faster, single-window clearances for the telecom sector. Govt has now directed all the other state departments to appoint nodal officers to coordinate the approvals for telecom infrastructure. Fees collected by the IT department will be transferred to the state treasury, while land use charges collected in villages and towns will be transferred to the respective bodies that own the land. 'Compensation for the use of public property for telecom infrastructure will be assessed and paid either once or annually, based on rates decided by the public authority,' the IT department said.
Indian Express
5 hours ago
- Indian Express
Toll slashed up to 50% for elevated highway portions
In a decision that will benefit commercial vehicle owners, the government has slashed the toll rate up to 50% for sections of National Highways which have structures like bridges, tunnels, flyovers or elevated highways. Currently, the toll for the structured portions of the National Highways is 10 times the normal toll. In a revised notification released on Tuesday, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has devised a new formula to calculate the user fee for a section of the National Highway comprising structures. According to the new formula, the minimum length will be calculated by adding 10 times the length of the structure to the net road length or 5 times the total length of the section of the National Highway, whichever is lesser. For instance, if a section of the National Highway has a total length of 40 km, with 30 km structure and 10 km net road, then the minimum length will be computed as 10 x 30+10 = 310 km or five times the total length of the section of the National Highway which is 5x40km = 200 km. The user fee will be calculated for the lesser length that is for 200 km. This will be a huge relief for users who travel on stretches of highways where structures account for more than half the length. Under the new mechanism to determine toll fees, a one-way car trip will cost Rs 292 at Rs 1.46/km as per National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008. This fee will be much higher for a taxi, a commercial vehicle. The user fee is higher for structure sections of the National Highways to recover the cost incurred in construction of tunnels, bridges or elevated stretches on the highway. The Ministry said that for the existing public-funded toll plazas, the new rule will be effective from the date of next scheduled user fee revision. For the new toll plazas, it will apply since the commencement of the date of operation. For concessionaire operated fee plazas, it will come into effect upon expiry of concession agreements. Officials said that the new rule will mostly benefit the commercial vehicle as they are charged four to five times of what is paid by private vehicle owners, who also have an option to buy an annual pass of Rs 3,000 to cut down toll spending burden. 'For example, in the Delhi-Dehradun expressway, the elevated structure on the Delhi side is 18 km and on the Dehradun side, it is passing through a 15-km wildlife elevated corridor. The commercial vehicles will have to pay up to 50% less toll for the structure section. Similarly, the toll on other key elevated structures such as Nashik Phata-Khed and Danapur-Bihta will also be reduced. The 28.5 km Dwarka Expressway has 21 km of structures. Thus, the new rule will be a big relief for commuters on this expressway,' said an official.
India Gazette
8 hours ago
- India Gazette
Jindal Steel Receives Letter of Intent as Successful Bidder for Roida-I Iron Ore and Manganese Block in Odisha
Jindal Steel & Power Limited New Delhi/ Angul (Odisha) [India], July 4: Jindal Steel today announced a significant milestone in its strategic growth journey. The Government of Odisha has issued a Letter of Intent (LoI) to the Company for the grant of a 50-year Mining Lease for the Roida-I Iron Ore and Manganese Block, located in Keonjhar District. Spread across 104.84 hectares, this vital mineral resource significantly enhances Jindal Steel's raw material security and underscores its commitment to integrated and sustainable steel production in India's mineral-rich eastern corridor. The Roida-I Iron Ore and Manganese Block comes with an Environmental Clearance capacity of 3 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA) and a mineral deposit of 126.05 Million Tonnes, further solidifying the strategic value of the acquisition. This LoI follows Jindal Steel's successful participation in the e-auction held on June 6, 2025, where the company emerged as the Preferred Bidder, in line with the provisions of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, and the Mineral (Auction) Rules, 2015. The issuance of the LoI is a significant step toward securing long-term iron ore and manganese supplies, critical to Jindal Steel's integrated operations. Pankaj Malhan, Executive Director, Angul, stated, 'This mining lease is a critical enabler for our long-term vision of self-reliant steel production. With the Roida-I block, we are significantly bolstering our iron ore and manganese supply base, which will ensure operational stability, cost efficiency, and support our growth plans. It is also a testament to Jindal Steel's commitment to Odisha's economic and industrial development through responsible and sustainable mining.' This development further strengthens Jindal Steel's backwards integration model and reaffirms its dedication to sustainable mining, economic value creation, and community advancement in the region. About Jindal Steel Jindal Steel is an industrial powerhouse with a strong presence in the steel, mining, and infrastructure sectors. With a strategic investment of $12 billion worldwide, Jindal Steel is consistently enhancing its capacity utilisation and operational efficiencies, seizing opportunities to contribute to a self-reliant India. For further information, please contact Media Relations at: Kuldeep Singh, +919899692981; [email protected] (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by Jindal Steel & Power Limited. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
