Double trouble for Pakhowal Road residents: Phone lines damaged in digging, then cables were stolen

Though the lines were restored in the area, the department suffered damage worth lakhs.

SDO Kanwaljeet Singh Shanker said, “Two days back, our cables were disconnected by MC contractor. Our team worked overnight, repaired the fault and the day before yesterday, phones had started working. However, the work was done in a temporary manner and yesterday morning we came to know that all the cables had been stolen. We got an FIR lodged against unknown persons and our team is working again to plug the fault.”

He said that a security guard was deputed overnight to prevent any theft.

Sources said a few rag-picker women were spotted stealing those cables. More than 400 phone lines of the area went dead.

BSNL GM C S Bhanot said, “We will be sending a demand note to MC office, seeking compensation from them as apart from causing inconvenience to general public, it also caused a loss to the department.”

Bhanot said that this was not for the first time as such damage had been done in the past as well on the same spot apart from other areas wherever MC carries out water or sewer pipe laying work. He said though they had been sending demand notices, the MC authorities were least bothered and were hardly paying them. “This time we will be strict and will be taking up the matter with them. Recently it happened at Doraha as well,” he said.

The office concerned has been told to make a proper estimate and send it to the MC for seeking compensation. The BSNL authorities stated that the MC is supposed to co-ordinate with the BSNL department before carrying out any digging work but it is hardly done.