BBMP officials flout own rules

BENGALURU: Do BBMP officials know the rules that their own agency has set? It doesn’t seem so. Teh rulebook clearly mentions that roads that are asphalted less than a year ago should not be dug up for laying optical fibre cables (OFC) or any other work, but the BBMP is granting permission recklessly to private telecom operators to dig the roads at will. ECC Road in Whitefield, which was asphalted recently after intense protests by area residents, has been dug up by a private telecom service provider to lay the OFC, and the residents are furious.

Mr Sandeep Anirudhan, a member of Whitefield Rising, said, “There are over 15 telecom companies that dig up roads multiple times a year, either to lay cables or to repair them. It is clearly mentioned in the rulebook that laying OFCs in newly asphalted roads is strictly prohibited for one year."

ECC Road, which was in poor condition because of works taken up by the BWSSB, was asphalted just six months ago after the citizen group staged a massive protest.

The BBMP has given the permission to the telecom company only to get crores of rupees in deposits from these companies to get permits. Across Whitefield, various telecom companies have already been given permission to lay the cables, alleged Mr Anirudhan.

“Didn't officials at the BBMP OFC Cell know that the road was asphalted six months ago and permission for road digging should not have been granted? What is preventing the civic body from laying a common duct with access covers that can be used by all telecom service providers instead of digging up the road frequently,” he asked.

Mayor Padmavathi said, “The BBMP recently introduced a system where permission for road digging is granted online. This will speed up the process and will avoid multiple agencies taking up road digging works without informing the BBMP.”

Separate agency to cut, lay roads
To reduce the inconveniences caused to motorists and pedestrians because of road digging, Bengaluru Development Minister K.J. George in December had batted for a separate committee to oversee cutting and relaying of roads.

On the status of the agency, Mayor Padmavathi said, “We discussed about it in our review meetings and forwarded it to the state government for approval." If the agency becomes a reality, any civic body that wants to dig roads should first deposit the charges for road cutting and relaying in advance with the BBMP. Once the work is completed, the agency will relay the road.