Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 · Chapter II: Privileges and Powers of the Government
Section 7B: Arbitration of disputes
The Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 was repealed by the Telecommunications Act, 2023 (from 26 June 2024; Part III still applies to transmission lines under the Electricity Act, 2003). The text is kept here because the judgments below apply it.
1) Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Act, if any dispute concerning any telegraph line, appliance or apparatus arises between the telegraph authority and the person for whose benefit the line, appliance or apparatus is, or has been, provided, the dispute shall be determined by arbitration and shall, for the purposes of such determination, be referred to an arbitrator appointed by the Central Government either specially for the determination of that dispute or generally for the determination of disputes under this section.
(2) The award of the arbitrator appointed under sub-section (1) shall be conclusive between the parties to the dispute and shall not be questioned in any court.]
Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 15 October 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.
Supreme Court judgments citing the section 7B
- Loop Telecom and Trading Limited v. Union of India and Anr.
- Vodafone Idea Cellular Ltd. v. Ajay Kumar Agarwal
- Competition Commission of India v. Bharti Airtel Limited and Others
- Cellular Operators Association of India and Others v. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India and Others
- Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited v. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India and Others
- Department of Telecommunications v. Gujarat Co-Operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd.
- General Manager, Telecom v. M. Krishnan & Anr.
- Union of India and Anr. v. M/S Jagjit Industries and Anr.
- Shri M.L. Jaggi v. Mahanagar Telephones Nigam Ltd. and Ors.