Chennai: Madras high court has ordered notice to the state government on a petition from BSNL challenging the circular demanding annual ‘track rent’ from the public-sector company for laying Optical Fibre Cables (OFC) along public roads.
Justice R. Mahadevan, before whom the plea came up for hearing, directed the commissioner of land administration and the revenue department to file their reply in two weeks.
In a petition filed by deputy general manager, BSNL, Erode, submitted that it is a government of India enterprise and 100 per cent equity share of the company is held by the central government.
He said BSNL in Erode district has over 120 telephone exchanges. In order to meet the object of central government to develop telecom facility in rural areas under the new telecom policy, BSNL has already laid optical fibre cables in public ways. The public sector paid restoration charges prescribed by the local administration. In Erode district the underground OFC have been laid for 2,730 kms during the past 20 years.
Based on government orders dated February 12, 2001, and March 23, 2013, the local administration issued a circular on March 28, 2018, demanding annual ‘track rent’ charges from BSNL and all other private telecom companies.
He said BSNL cannot be equated with other private telecom operators like Reliance, Airtel, Idea and Vodafone. The orders were passed with the aim of collecting revenue from private operators and not from a public enterprise. Hence, the petitioner sought the court to quash the orders.
