Digital Goa, November, 11 – State IT Department has directed all telecom service and infrastructure providers to comply with the new Right of Way rules, mandating prior permissions and asset declarations, warning of penalties up to ₹2 crore or three years’ imprisonment for violations. A notice has been issued by the Department directing all Infrastructure Providers (IP-1) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to strictly comply with the Telecommunication Right of Way (RoW) Rules, 2024. The rules, mandate prior permission from the IT Department(DITEC) before installing any overhead or underground telecom infrastructure. Service providers have also been instructed to declare all existing telecom assets by submitting KML (Keyhole Markup Language) /KMZ (Keyhole Markup Language Zipped) files for mapping on the One Map Goa GIS Portal or the GatiShakti Portal, along with valid permissions for previously laid infrastructure. Those who do not have necessary permissions, they have been directed to obtain the requisite permission from DITEC. The government has cautioned that non-compliance will invite strict action including imprisonment of up to three years, a fine of up to ₹2 crore, or both, for unauthorised telecom operations or damage to critical infrastructure.
