PANAJI
The High Court of Bombay at Goa disposed of a petition by the All Goa Internet Service Providers Association challenging the Electricity Department’s “arbitrary” cutting of fibre optic cables.
The association withdrew the petition after resolving the dispute, as conveyed to Justices Bharati Dangre and Nivedita Mehta during the final hearing. The court permitted the withdrawal and disposed of the case.
The association had alleged that despite adhering to due process, the Electricity Department acted arbitrarily. It noted that its Right of Way (RoW) application, filed on November 22, 2023, with the Department of Information Technology, remained pending.
The group sought permission to deploy fibre networks across seven talukas in Goa but received no approval despite follow-ups. The petition highlighted the National RoW Policy, effective January 1, 2025, which mandates states like Goa to facilitate fibre deployment using electricity poles.
The association claimed compliance with this policy, yet faced cable-cutting by the Electricity Department before a decision was finalized. The resolution of the dispute led to the petition’s withdrawal.
