Whitefield Rising, a citizens’ collective in Bengaluru, has filed a complaint with the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Whitefield, requesting an FIR to be filed against the CEOs of major Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) because of the rampant installation of illegal Optic Fibre Cables (OFCs) in the area. The letter, submitted on July 12, says that the OFCs pose a serious threat to the lives of residents and have in the past been responsible for claiming the lives of many.
“While there are set guidelines and specific contracts on how cable companies have to provide connectivity, they are never followed by the companies or the sub-contractors in charge of the actual work on ground. While such enforcement of contracts is with the Government agencies such as BBMP, to whom various complaints have been made since 2013-14 with no outcomes, are now resulting in actionable situations by the Police,” the collective said in its complaint.
“While addressing these immediate safety concerns, it is crucial to scrutinise the responsibility of the companies and their respective leaders operating in the Whitefield area. Airtel Chairman Sunil Mittal, ACT Broadband Chairman Mahendra Kumar Sharma, TCL CEO Amur S Lakshminarayanan, Reliance JIO Chairman Akash Ambani, and other small-time broadband operators have a responsibility toward the city and its citizens,” the complaint further said.
They were also worried about the uncovered underground chambers that can be found in various places, posing a risk to pedestrians. The group mentioned that irresponsible digging of roads by the companies has resulted in poorly maintained roads and called for an immediate need of a comprehensive investigation and enforcement of stricter rules or fines.
The complaint also mentioned that It is important to check if these organisations have done their job of keeping the community safe while they set up the internet networks.
The companies should also be held responsible because they give the work to smaller contractors without ensuring the communities safety but reap its benefits, the complaint stated.