Make Airtel cough up for digging roads: Citizens’ forum

Make Airtel cough up for digging roads: Citizens’ forum
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: The Jana Jagruthi Sangha has said the BMP has lost crores due to the road digging work carried out by Airtel.

Speaking at a media conference, Convener Keshava said Airtel had dug up more than 500 km of roads to lay OFC cables in the past three years. An ordinary citizen is taxed Rs 650 per meter towards road cutting for water, sanitary and electricity connection.

“But Airtel so far has not paid a single rupee to the BMP”, he added.

He said a PIL had been filed in the High Court demanding that the BMP recover Rs 390 crore from Airtel as road digging charges. But even after the court admitted the PIL, the company persisted in digging up roads in several localities.

”If the BMP levies road cutting charges and imposes a penalty, the BMP can get crores which can be utilised for the city’s infrastructure”, he said. He further demanded that the Chief Minister order a judicial probe into the functioning of Airtel.