The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has withdrawn all permissions to lay optic fibre cables (OFCs) after the civic body received multiple complaints of telecom companies digging up roads without permission.
The decision comes after the BBMP imposed fines on Reliance Jio and Airtel for allegedly digging up roads without permission to lay OFCs. BBMP officials convened a meeting on Monday to discuss the menace of telecom companies digging roads to lay OFCs.
"With immediate effect, BBMP has cancelled all permissions given to companies that lay OFCs in BBMP limits. There will be strict action initiated on both companies and contractors who do not comply", BBMP Commissioner BH Anil Kumar stated following the meeting.
Telecom companies now need to specifically mention the areas where OFCs will be laid and the number of chambers required before permission is given. Even though the OFCs are laid horizontally, roads have to be dug at regular intervals to create chambers, where the OFC is well protected and to ensure branching of the cable route.
In spite of the blanket permission earlier, telecom companies and their vendors laying OFCs had to receive permission from the jurisdictional executive engineer before digging roads. Moreover, no road that has been asphalted in the last 12 months can be dug up again and, in both cases, recently asphalted roads were dug up for laying OFCs.
On October 9, the BBMP issued a Rs 25 lakh fine to Reliance Jio after a vendor associated with the company allegedly dug up a road in Sarjapur in Bengaluru without prior permission from the civic body. An FIR was also registered at the Bellandur Police Station under sections of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and under section 427 of the IPC (mischief causing damage). BBMP officials said that the road was recently relaid before it was found dug up overnight.
Read: Reliance Jio to face Rs 25 lakh fine after Bengaluru road dug up without permission
A week later, Airtel was fined for a similar offence for allegedly damaging a 1.5 km stretch on Bannerghatta Road while laying OFCs. The company has to pay over Rs 68 lakh in total to the BBMP, which includes a fine component of Rs 25 lakh. An FIR was registered in this case as well after a BBMP official filed a complaint at Hulimavu police station.
Read: After Jio, Airtel slapped with fine for digging Bengaluru road without permission