PWD Minister G Sudhakaran tells telecom companies not to dig up tarred roads

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM; PWD Minister G. Sudhakaran has asked the five telecom companies, Reliance Jio Infocomm, Idea Cellular, Vodafone, Airtel and RailTel, to lay fibre optical cables in the state on the berm (a path or grass strip beside a road) and not to destroy the tarred road. Mr Sudhakaran took this decision at a meeting with the representatives of the five companies who had sought the government's permission to lay fibre optical cables. Mr Sudhakaran had said in July that he would end the monopoly of the telecom giants as he alleged that they had been destroying the tarred roads in the state.

He had then told DC that the LDF government had put forth some conditions to lay cables. "We have asked the telecom companies to lay the cables together in a pipe so that frequent digging can be avoided. Similarly, if the areas have culverts, the cables have to be laid underneath through pipes," said a source of the PWD minister's office. The telecom companies were told that the department will not allow digging of roads once the tarring has been completed. The companies expressed satisfaction over the talks. Once a formal communication is received from the ministry, the companies will start their work.