OFCs, GAIL mess up HSR

HSR Federation writes to Lok Ayukta to stop the patchy works

By NIRMALA G

Once a road is asphalted, no civic utility can dig it up for atleast one year. That’s the BBMP law. And who breaks it? The innumerable optic fibre companies (OFC) and the centre-owned GAIL that provides natural gas to homes. Not to mention, other civic utilities like the electricity (Bescom) and water supply agencies (BWSSB). The Federation of HSR Layout Residents Welfare Associations has written to the Lok Ayukta to stop the illegal digging by OFCs and GAIL on old and newly-asphalted roads in the neighbourhood.

Why Lok Ayukta? “We have been repeatedly complaining to BBMP and the police about this. Even if the officials come to the spot after several requests from residents welfare associations (RWAs), they act as if they are going to seize the vehicles, but actually let them do their job as soon as we move of that location,” says BNR Reddy, the Chairman of the Federation. “This shows that BBMP is secretly supporting the illegal OFCs and GAIL diggings.”

Therefore, the Federation has requested the Lok Ayukta to take action on BBMP engineers for dereliction of duty. “We also request you to make BBMP consult and discuss with the RWAs before giving sanction to OFCs and GAIL,” the letter notes. We asked Spectra to find out if they are taking the cable underground to avoid inconveniencing the public. They said the problem of cable cuts is much more in central Bangalore and the problem isn’t much in HSR. However, cable cuts have become a more frequent occurrence than ever before. Therefore, we urge all OFCs to take their cables underground after taking adequate permissions and without inconveniencing the public. Importantly, they should ensure that the road is back to its original form and quality after their pipe-laying work is done.

We also reached out to BBMP engineer Ananth Raju and BBMP Joint Commissioner (Bommanahalli) Veerabhadraswamy about the action they are taking based on the Federation’s complaint, but they hadn’t got back to us by the time we went to press. We urge them to act without fear or favour as the citizens are with them.

BBMP is to blame
Something needs to be done about the BBMP officials who violate all the rules set by their own agency. Much of this could be avoided if they just do their job. It’s time officials get sacked and their bank accounts frozen for dereliction of duty.