The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and telecom and internet service providers have been crossing swords over overhead cables and unauthorised digging up of roads. At a meeting on Tuesday, civic officials instructed service providers to come back with a proper plan on the time needed to take all the overhead cables underground.
BBMP Commissioner B.H. Anil Kumar said that the civic body will be bringing service providers on the same platform as the other civic utilities, such as GAIL, BWSSB, Bescom and others so that clearances are given at one go. “Road cutting permission will be given uniformly. This will minimise the need to take up road cutting once the road restoration has been completed,” he said and added that the software for the same has already been developed by the civic body.
“It is just the matter of providing links to the different agencies, utilities and service providers,” Mr. Kumar added.
In October, the BBMP had withdrawn all permissions granted to lay optic fibre cables (OFCs) in Bengaluru and had also directed internet and telecom service providers to cease digging roads. In Tuesday’s meeting, service providers were instructed to strictly adhere to rules. They were also warned against drawing overhead cables illegally.
Rajan S. Mathews, director general of Cellular Operators Association of India, told The Hindu that the association also met Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa to discuss issues pertaining to laying OFCs in the city. “The BBMP has agreed to give us adequate time to take the overhead OFCs underground, apart from intimating us when the road cutting permission is given to utilities and agencies,” he said. “We were informed that the Chief Secretary would be apprised of the issues raised during Tuesday’s meeting. Hopefully, the new system should be in place in a month's time,” he said.
