PANAJI
The Goa Electricity Department on Tuesday wielded the saw and began cutting cables "unauthorisedly" mounted on their street poles in central Panaji around the Azad Maidan causing internet outages and disrupting businesses.
The action comes a day after the Bombay High Court at Goa heard the matter between internet service providers and the department but gave no relief.
Several businesses and internet dependent professionals, especially those who work from home, have complained of facing severe hardships since Tuesday afternoon.
"It is a total mess. We (consumers) are the only ones paying up the internet cess and dues regularly but suffering the most," said one user who did not wish to be identified.
She said, the ones that have not paid their dues (service providers) and the one who has jumped to cut off the cables (Electricity Dept) are playing their games leaving the consumers (who the only ones who have paid their dues) to suffer.
Apart from Panaji, the department went about cutting cables from electricity poles in sporadic places across the State as well.
Executive Engineer Kashinath Shetye said the drive has recommenced as no operator has cleared dues to the department so far.
"The drive (cutting of cables) will be conducted across State,” he added
The All Goa Internet Service Providers Association (AGISPA) meanwhile has been urging the Electricity Department all through this nearly month-long confrontation not to cut their internet cables saying the matter is sub-judice.
The Bombay High Court at Goa which heard the matter on Monday has now fixed the next hearing on March 18.
The Association had warned the department that cutting of cables would affect around 2-3 lakh customers.
Shetye, meanwhile, claimed that the High Court did not grant the service providers any relief on Monday and the department has obtained legal advice that the drive can be continued.
He also said that they had been issued notices and have failed to comply or pay up licence fees and penalties for the last five years.
Meanwhile in a related development, the Electricity Department has appointed its top two engineers as 'Nodal Officers' to oversee all matters related to the utilization of the department's infrastructure.
Superintending Engineer Shailesh Naik Burye will be the nodal officer for North Goa while Superintending Engineer Rajiv Samant will be the nodal officer for South Goa, according to the order issued by Chief Electrical Engineer, Stephen Fernandes.
The two nodal officers will act as the point of contact for all stakeholders involved in laying optical fiber cables, telecom cables, internet cables and television cables, the order said.
They will also handle approvals for the installation of poles, mobile towers, small cells and all related activities.
The order also said that the appointments have been made to "streamline" coordination and regulatory processes in these sectors.
