BENGALURU: You may not be able to access the Internet for a fortnight if the BBMP is serious about penalising OFC fee evaders. Following a hue and cry by a few residents and former corporator N.R. Ramesh stating that the Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) operators are evading payment of road-cutting charges and annual fee, the BBMP undertook a survey of OFC network and fixed fee.
Subsequently, a committee was formed to check the authenticity of the declaration on the OFC network submitted by the companies. The committee found that the declaration was not bona fide and should be checked. Sources in the BBMP said that the OFC operators had the potential to earn at least Rs. 350 crore per annum. Last year, the BBMP earned Rs. 250 crore.
As per the data submitted by former corporator N.R. Ramesh, 18 OFC companies had encroached on the BBMP’s properties such as roads, footpaths and drains to lay their cables and this resulted in inconvenience to the public and loss to BBMP’s exchequer. Sources said that cables had been laid blocking the drains, manholes and footpaths inconveniencing the people. Mumbai was earning good revenue from OFC operators and Bengaluru was losing out on that.
In the absence of an elected body at the BBMP, which has been superceded by the government and considering its poor financial condition, Palike administrator T.M. Vijay Bhaskar held a meeting with representatives of OFC operators and directed them to give declarations about their networks in the next 10 days.
Mr. Bhaskar told DC that they would be asked to give a revised undertaking on the OFC cables laid by them. Details furnished by them would be verified. After the stipulated time, if they did not comply with the rules, their cables would be disconnected until they provided authentic details and paid the fee.
