UP HC gives relief to Idea Cellular on tower issue

Allahabad: The Allahabad High Court today granted relief to telecom major Idea Cellular Ltd, but came down heavily on the officials of Noida authority saying that without their connivance, the erection and installation of these towers would not have been possible.

Passing the order, a division bench comprising of Justices Prakash Krishna and Y C Gupta asked the Noida authority to take disciplinary action for dereliction of duty against such officials, who were responsible for erection or installation of the towers in Noida.

The judges directed the Noida authority to disclose the action taken against such officials whose responsibility was to prevent erection or installation of unauthorised towers in Noida.

The court passed this order on a writ petition filed by Idea Cellular Ltd, which had approached the High Court saying the action of the Noida authority in sealing the premises where their towers were installed, was done without giving any notice to them.

The court, as an interim measure granted relief to the petitioner asking the Noida authority to remove the seal put by them on the premises within two days and allowed the petitioner to reconnect the site.

The court in its order said ''The sealing of the premises is a drastic action and giving only 24 hours' time cannot be said to be sufficient. We are prima facie of the view that no proper opportunity was given to the petitioner before sealing the premises.

By no stretch of imagination, these towers can be said to be erected overnight. The existence of these towers relates back to the year around 2002. Without the connivance of the officials of Noida, the erection or installation of these towers appears to be not possible''.