PANAJI
With the 10-day ultimatum ending on Thursday, the Electricity Department has issued show-cause notices to cable operators and internet service providers, directing them to remove cables from poles and other department infrastructure within 15 days.
The directions came with a warning that failure to comply will result in penal action.
Executive Engineer and Nodal Officer for Land Acquisition and Property Management, Kashinath Shetye, confirmed the development while also adding that two telecom service providers have been fined Rs 3.5 crore and Rs 1.8 crore, respectively, for non-payment of dues related to pole usage.
Shetye further stated that assistant engineers (AEs) and junior engineers (JEs) will be held accountable for enforcing the directive. If they fail to take action, they will face a penalty of Rs 300 per day, deducted from their salaries.
“Some operators have applied for permission to use the poles, but many are yet to do so. The operators must take responsibility for any accidents or casualties caused due to their cables,” the EE added.
On February 3, the department issued a public notice giving TV cable and internet service providers a fresh 10-day deadline. The jurisdictional JEs, AEs and Executive Engineers were instructed to remove all illegal cables and infrastructure from electricity poles, thereafter.
Earlier, on January 22, the High Court of Bombay at Goa dismissed an application filed by the Goa Cable TV Networking and Service Providers Association, which sought relief against the removal of illegally installed overhead wires.
The department estimates a loss of approximately Rs 50 crore due to non-payment of fees by association members. The operators agreed to pay the fees and requested additional time to shift their cables. A deadline of February 1 was initially granted, followed by the issuance of a public notice and now a fresh ultimatum.
