Srinagar: The High Court Tuesday asked the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to place on record guidelines with regard to installation of mobile towers in Ladakhregion .
Hearing a Public Interest Litigation seeking removal of mobile tower near a public health center in Kargil, a division bench of Chief Justice PankajMithal and Justice Sanjay Dhar held that the court would see whether the guidelines or the rules for the installation of the mobile towers were violated.
The court made the observation after hearing the counsel Syed Manzoor on behalf of the petitioner and senior advocate N ABeigh appearing for the BSNL.
“No tower can be installed within the close vicinity of a Medical Health Centre or Hospital,” advocate Manzoor said. The tower in question, he said, was just adjacent to the public health facility in Kargil.
Defending the BSNL, counsel Beigh submitted that tower was installed on the request of the villagers’ way back in the year 2011 and no guidelines were violated.
Beigh said the petitioner cannot have any grievance once the tower was installed and had remained operational till 2019.
After hearing the parties, the division bench said, “Be that as it may, we have to see whether the guidelines or the rules formulated for the installation of the mobile towers have been violated or not.”
Following these remarks, Assistant Solicitor General of India (ASGI), TahirMajidShamsi, requested a months’ time for bringing on record guidelines regarding the installation of mobile towers in Ladakh region.
While the court granted the ASGI one month for filing the objections and placing on record the said guidelines, the court listed petition for further hearing on September.
The PIL is seeking directions to Secretary Department of Telecommunication (DoT) Ministery of Information and Broadcasting New Delhi, Chief General Manager Bharan Sanchar Nigam Limited Jammu and Telecommunication District Manager Leh for removing the mobile tower which it says is installed in close proximity of New Type of Public Health Centre BatalikKargil.
The PIL is also seeking re-installing the town as per the norms and guidelines.