KOCHI: Corporation works standing committee on Thursday intervened and prevented illegal road cutting works by a private telecom company at Kaloor. Works Committee chairman P.M Haris urged the corporation secretary to take legal action against the company under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. Mr Haris took notice of the road cutting works being done along Ashoka Road on Thursday morning. When asked, the workers admitted that they did not have the permit for the work.
Mr Haris alerted the police which sent out a team and stopped the work. Later, assistant executive engineer of the corporation inspected the site and a report is being prepared which will be submitted for further police action. “I have been raising the issue of unauthorised road cutting by private telecom companies in several council meetings. The case should be taken very seriously and in addition to the fine, the civic body should make sure that the police file a strong case against the company,” said Mr Haris.
Cutting the road for cable-laying by not paying the restoration charges or the annual track rent was tantamount to cheating the corporation, he said. “A proper audit should be conducted on the number of cables with the actual measurement. Any lapse from civic body will cause a huge revenue loss to the exchequer”, he added. It is to be recalled that Mr Haris had faced allegations over the out-of-the-way sanctions for road-cutting given to various telecom service providers.
