Chennai-based writer and activist Geeta Padmanabhan has been engaging in a sit-in protest since Sunday, July 9, against cable operator Jio for installing poles on a footpath in Adyar, Chennai's Zone 13. Geeta claims that the licence issued by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) does not authorise the installation of poles on footpaths.
According to her complaint, addressed to Dr J Radhakrishnan, Commissioner of Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), the licence issued by GCC does not specify that the installation could be carried out on footpaths.
Geeta, in her conversation with TNM, highlighted that the footpath in question spans over a kilometre and runs through the bustling streets of Radhakrishnan Nagar, Sivagami Puram, and Malavi Avenue. She emphasised that no other cable operator has installed poles on this specific footpath. Furthermore, Geeta pointed out that the licence granted only permits the installation of "19 poles in Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar main road," with no mention of the footpath itself. She also pointed out that the footpath provides safety for pedestrians.
Geeta also about how several poles were removed and repositioned during her protest leading to the accidental damage and loss of footpath tiles caused by the workers. She condemned this as both vandalism and theft of public property.
While the permit was provided for installing 19 poles, the contractor who was carrying out the implementation said that only 10-12 were installed since the process was stalled following resistance from residents.
Geeta initially raised the issue with the relevant officials on July 7 but received no action in response. She subsequently filed a complaint with the Commissioner off GCC, following which officials ordered the removal of four poles that had been installed in the first week of July.
“There are six more poles which need to be removed based on the complaint. We have communicated it to Jio since we do not have a workforce to do it. Officials from Jio have asked for two days’ time. We will remove all the poles on the footpath by Friday,” an official from the Electrical Department of the GCC told TNM.