AGARTALA, June 13 (TIWN): The Agartala Municipal Corporation has been found illegally collecting hefty amounts from the mobile tower companies by levying tax on them. The Tripura High Court on Friday held that the Agartala Municipal Corporations (AMC) does not have any power to levy tax on the mobile tower companies here in Agartala under the Telegraph Act. The court also directed the corporation to return back the amount taken from the companies so far.Hearing the writ petition filed by Lawyer Arun Kanti Bhowmik, the HC under the bench of Chief Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Subhashish Talapatra on Friday said that the state is at liberty to make amendments to bring technological advances within the purview of relevant laws, while making it clear that it was for the legislature to take into consideration all aspects and enact such laws as it deemed fit.Talking to TIWN in this regard lawyer Arun Kanti Bhowmik on Friday said, “The AMC has been found illegally taking hefty amount from the mobile tower companies here in Agartala, though the corporation does not have any power to act this.” Adding to that Bhowmik said, “Under the Telegraph Act several tower companies who had set up their mobile tower here in Agartala sector are authorized from the central government". “The AMC without any provision in Municipality act had been found illegally taking hefty amount from the mobile tower companies here and has asked them to pay Rs. 5000 monthly levying tax on them.”

Adding he said, “The Corporation had been on a spree collecting the fees arbitrarily from the companies without any prior approval from the State Government here.”

Bhowmik had filed the petition with the HC on behest of the mobile tower companies hearing which the court on Friday had asked the AMC to stop levying tax on the companies and asked to pay back the amount to those who managed to pay the fees under pressure from the AMC.

He also said until the new laws and provision are put to Municipality Act, the AMC authorities are not allowed to levy any tax on the mobile tower companies.