BBMP team inspects OFCs

BANGALORE: The fund crunched Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Monday started its drive to locate illegal optical fibre cables (OFC) that have been laid by service operators.The BBMP office had received many complaints regarding service providers who dig roads for laying OFCs without prior permission.There were complaints that service operators even drew OFCs through sewage water pipes, to save money and avoid taking the approval of the authorities.The story does not end here, in the budget which was submitted recently by the ruling party, the Palike is expecting to earn `780 crore annually through the new OFC Policy.The policy will include and charge the companies who have laid cables across the city a certain amount of ground rent.In order to curb the illegal laying of OFCs the BBMP has formed a team that comprises commissioner Siddiah, mayor Sharadamma, deputy mayor Harish, technical advisor to commissioner H Raja Simha, Yediyur ward corporator N R Ramesh along with the ruling party’s chairman B R Nanjundappa.The team will inspect various spots in the city where these cables have been laid.According to Harish, there are 14 service operators in Bangalore.‘‘Data available with the BBMP says that only 800 kilometres of OFCs have been laid in the city.But the ground reality states that there are more than 32,000 kilometres OFCs laid so far.We are inspecting the scenario and if we find any illegal OFCs that have been laid, the cables will be cut,” he warned.Ramesh said that except Tata (service provider), most others have violated the law by giving false information.Service providers such as Airtel, Aircel and Reliance are among the few who have provided the Palike with bogus information.“This drive will go on up to a month,” he added.Speaking on the technical part, Simha said that they have got a unique machine which can detect inderground OFCs.“We have got it from Singapore for the same reason,’’ he said.