Assam government clears 3,642 RoW applications with immediate effect

The Assam Government accepted 3,642 pending right-of-way (RoW) applications with immediate effect on Thursday.A significant step towards PM Narendra Modi’s ambition of Digital India, according to tower infrastructure suppliers. After Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, Assam has become the fifth state to embrace presumed approval.

T R Dua, Director-General, Digital Infrastructure Providers Association (DIPA) said: Representatives of DIPA had been making enormous efforts with Assam Government for the implementation of the policy through the joint meeting submissions with various advisories and directions by the Department of Telecom, team of National Broadband Mission and today finally we have deemed approval clause in Assam.”

The government launched an online portal, ‘Gati Shakti Sanchar Portal’ on May 14, 2022, to expedite the approval of RoW applications, which previously took months. The consolidated platform is anticipated to cut the time it takes telcos to pass RoW clearances in half.

According to Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, The gateway will cut the time it takes to get RoW certifications from about 100 days to 22 days. He also mentioned that the portal will be integrated with other key RoW portals, overseeing infrastructure projects, and it would be given legal backing in the future, adding clarity and responsibility to the process of acquiring RoW certifications.