Shifting of overhead wires underground going on at steady pace, says Mayor

Kolkata: With allegations being raised against local cable operators, and some private players of drawing overhead cables from light posts of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) without permission, Mayor Firhad Hakim said such companies, along with local cable operators, have already been asked to shift the lines underground through cable ducts.

Several complaints have reached the Mayor, including from councillors, that the city is being turned into a “jungle” of overhead wires. It was alleged by one councillor on Saturday that presently there are about 1,888 cable operators who have been issued trade licenses by the KMC. These operators are allegedly laying as many overhead cables as they can. It was suggested that during the renewal of their trade licenses, they must be asked to reveal the number of customers and accordingly the license fees can be increased which in turn can be used by KMC to carry out proper wiring and dressing of these overhead cables. Further, it was alleged that one big private company is also drawing optical fibre cables using KMC light posts without permission from the civic body.

Mayor Firhad Hakim said recently a meeting was held with the representatives of the private company and they were warned against this. He said they have agreed to shift the cable lines underground.

For local cable operators, Hakim said many of them belong to poor and middle-class backgrounds and this cable business supports their families at a time when big companies are entering the business, taking away their customers. He added that KMC has already asked these operators to shift their lines underground gradually. He informed that overhead wires will be taken through underground cable ducts in at least 40 roads in Kolkata.

The Mayor informed the councillor that the shifting process is going on at a steady pace and in phases. Some of the roads are CIT Road, APC Road, SN Banerjee Road, Ballygunge Circular Road, Jawaharlal Nehru Road etc. KMC has also stopped giving permission for any new application for overhead cables, it was learnt.