PANAJI
The Goa government has appointed the Department of Information Technology, Electronics & Communications as the State Designated Department (SDD) under the Telecommunications (Right of Way) Rules, 2024, to speed up the rollout of digital infrastructure across the State.
The department said this decision will help remove delays in getting approvals for laying underground cables, setting up mobile towers, and other telecom works. It will do this by introducing a centralised single-window system. “The department will now handle all permissions for Right of Way (RoW) and No Objection Certificates (NOCs) on government land. These services will be available through a single e-Services portal developed by the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India,” the department said.
All other government departments have been told to appoint Nodal Officers to coordinate with the SDD for smooth processing of approvals. The SDD will collect land usage charges and application fees for government and municipal lands, including the use of street furniture, and will transfer these funds to the State Treasury or the relevant local bodies, corporations, and municipalities.
“The payment for using public property for telecom infrastructure will be worked out and paid either as a one-time payment or every year, based on rates set by the concerned authority. This system will not only make the approval process faster and reduce delays but will also help improve mobile and internet connectivity across Goa,” the department added.
