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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Supreme Court takes suo motu notice of news over dog bite leading to rabies
New Delhi(PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday took suo motu cognisance of a media report of dog bite incident leading to rabies, saying it contained some "alarming and disturbing figures".
A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan termed the news item published today in Delhi edition of English daily Times of India as "very disturbing and alarming".
The news report was about the death of a six-year-old girl, who was attacked by a rabid stray dog, in the national capital.
Taking cognisance of the news report, the bench said, "The news item contains some alarming and disturbing figures and facts."
It said every day, hundreds of dog bites were being reported in the city and on its outskirts, leading to rabies and ultimately, children and aged were falling prey to the dreadful disease.
"We take suo motu cognisance of this news item," the bench ordered.
It asked the apex court registry to register it as a suo motu petition in public interest.
"Let this order be placed along with the news report before the Chief Justice of India for appropriate orders," the bench said.
On July 15, while hearing a separate plea alleging harassment over feeding of community dogs in Noida, the apex court had asked the petitioner, "Why don't you feed them in your own house?"
The top court told the petitioner's counsel, "We should leave every lane, every road open for these large hearted people? There is all space for these animals, no space for humans. Why don't you feed them in your own house? Nobody is stopping you."
The observations came in a plea arising out of a March 2025 order of the Allahabad High Court.
The petitioner claimed harassment and said she was unable to feed community dogs in line with the Animal Birth Control Rules.
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