BBMP issues notice to internet service providers to declare unauthorised Optical Fibre Cables
Bengaluru, Dec 10: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has directed telecom and Internet service providers to declare unauthorised Optical Fiber Cables (OFCs) laid in the city by them, officials said on Sunday.
The BBMP has issued a notice to these service providers asking them to submit the details by December 20.
"It has come to notice that many of these telecom and Internet service providers have laid unauthorised OFCs in the city. We have issued a notice to them to declare details of such unauthorised OFCs latest by December 20 afterwhich the same will be regularised," a senior BBMP official said.
"Even earlier, several attempts were made by the civic body to regulate OFCs laying in the city to protect road and mobilise revenue. However, these attempts failed but this time, strict action would be initiated against these service providers if they do not adhere to the rules and declare unauthorised OFCs," he said.
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According to the official, 31 companies had taken permission to lay 12,463 km of ducts, but on the ground, these companies laid 97,000 km of ducts. Out of this, 84,537 km of ducts were found to be illegal.
For one km of duct, telecom service providers are required to pay about Rs 850 while non-telecom companies have to pay Rs 450 as ground rent, he said.
After receiving several complaints of rampant road-digging by private companies for laying OFCs lines in Bengaluru in July this year, the BBMP considered regularising such illegally laid lines by levying a penalty on the companies.
Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar had also sought he details of permissions given to such companies and how many kilometres of lines were laid by them in the city.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
