Mobile towers: Govt to amend building byelaws

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra told the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday the State government would bring in amendments to the building byelaws to regulate the installation of telecommunication towers in urban areas.

The amendment, if approved, will not only make a provision for imposing tax but also make those towers a part of structures over which they are erected, he added.
The minister was replying to the members’ demand for regulation of mobile towers.

Regulation of telecommunication towers come under a Central legislation. The State cannot make a provision for it either by amending the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act or the Karnataka Municipalities Act as it will become repugnant. Instead, the government wants to control them by amending the building byelaws, he explained.
The Minister said that a meeting of select MLAs from all cities, including Bengaluru, will soon be convened to discuss about the byelaw amendments. The amendments will be brought in within two months, he added.

Bill passed

The Assembly passed the Karnataka Municipalities and Certain Other Law (Amendment) Bill, 2014, which empowers the urban local bodies, including the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, to impose tax on towers. The Assembly also passed amendments and placed before the House two separate bills to incorporate the recommendations of the Law Commission. Both the bills were passed by the House.