Panaji: Following the Electricity Department’s fresh ultimatum for companies across Goa to remove the cables illegally put up on the poles, frantic efforts are underway to settle the matter.
A group of representatives from these companies met Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday, seeking his intervention in the matter. Sources stated that the CM has asked these companies to sort out the issue by calling a meeting of the concerned departments.
The Electricity Department has given a ten-day ultimatum through newspaper advertisements to companies across Goa, demanding the removal of their cables from electricity poles across the state.
“The illegal cables, OFC, and other illegal infrastructure on electricity poles are without valid permissions and without any survey or obtaining a stability certificate from the authority,” Executive Engineer Kashinath Shetye had said in the notice.
The department has quoted an order from the High Court of Bombay at Goa, wherein the facility providers were supposed to make applications to the Electricity Department under the Telecommunication (Right of Way) Rules, 2024.
“The authority has not received any application from any license holder to undertake a survey in respect of underground or overground telecommunication or cable networks, nor received any application for the establishment of underground or overground telecommunication/cable networks,” the notice said.
While the companies are caught in a difficult situation, they are trying to resolve the issue with the intervention of the Chief Minister.
Sources stated that there is also pressure to transfer EE Shetye, who has begun this drive against the illegal cables on the poles.
It remains to be seen what stance the state government takes on this issue, which is resulting in revenue loss for the state.
