Team Herald
PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has refused to grant interim relief to the All Goa Internet Service Providers Association (ISPs), which had petitioned the Court to direct the Electricity Department to refrain from cutting internet cables from electricity poles. The hearing has been adjourned to March 18, and the Electricity Department has confirmed that it will resume the removal of cables.
The application filed by the ISP Association was heard for the first time by the High Court since its submission. Advocate General of Goa, Devidas Pangam, explained the Court’s stance, stating, "The applicants’ lawyer requested more time for further hearings and sought an order to prevent any action against them. However, the Court did not grant any such order." He added that the Court had given the ISPs the opportunity to approach the relevant authorities with their grievances.
During the hearing, Advocate General Pangam explained that the ISPs had not applied for permission to install cables after the new regulations came into force in 2024. "The ISPs did not have permission from any competent authority before 2024 to install these cables, and they have not paid any licence fees to any authority," he said.
Following the Court hearing, the Executive Engineer (EE) of the Electricity Department, Kashinath Shetye, confirmed that the department would proceed with removing the cables. "None of the operators have settled their dues, including licence fees and form fees. We gave them 15 days, and now we will proceed with action under the Land and Revenue Code against the violators," Shetye stated.
In response, the ISP Association appealed to the Electricity Department to halt the removal of cables, asserting that they are willing to comply with all regulations. "We are ready to follow the rules. The reality is that there are exams and offices dependent on internet services, and if the cables are cut, it is the end consumers who will suffer," said Marvin Britto, President of the ISP Association.