Banks, businesses suffer, but Sudin says no other option
Special Correspondent
Panaji: A large number of business establishments, banks, offices, restaurants and residences were severely affected across the state on Tuesday due to internet outage as the electricity department recommenced its drive of clearing the electricity poles of cables hanging from them by severing the cables.
Internet and television connectivity was hugely disrupted as electricity department officials resorted to cutting of fibre optic cable lines and television cables of internet service providers (ISPs) and cable operators.
In the main part of the capital city of Panaji, the department staff led by executive engineer Kashinath Shetye severed a large number of cables, thus badly affecting internet and television services availed by at least 3 lakh subscribers. Till Tuesday noon, such cables were snapped from 43 electricity poles.
The department officials said the drive will continue unabated across the state. The activity recommenced following refusal of the High Court to grant interim relief to the ISPs during a related case heard before the court. The matter has been fixed for next hearing on March 18. Servers of major banks in Panaji remained down on Tuesday, affecting work. Internet services were also not available at the EDC head office on the Atmaram Borkar Road.
“Employees used hotspot and dongle to work,” said managing director B S Pai Angle.
With most payments presently automated, restaurants faced difficulty in receiving money from customers, as UPI and credit card machines stopped working.
“The functioning of restaurants was hampered because of lack of Wi-Fi facility. Moreover, communication between the front and back offices in most restaurants these days is through software, which failed because of lack of internet,” said National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI)-Goa co-chapter head, Akshay Quenim.
He said the restaurants were compelled to manually send staff from the floor to the kitchen to pass orders. “It was a difficult day, but eateries remained open and managed with the changed circumstances,” said Quenim.
Raising concern over the power department’s action of cutting fibre optic cables, Goa Technology Association (GTA) has demanded an immediate suspension of the activity until all the court cases on pole charges conclude.
Power Minister Ramakrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar said the cable-cutting drive is the final course of action his department had to resort to following the refusal of All Goa Internet Service Providers Association to pay dues for using the electricity poles.
Dhavalikar said the ISPs should immediately pay at least 10% to 25% of their dues to the electricity department for using the electric poles. “They should also seek time from the department for paying rest of the dues, and further apply with the department for its NOC to use the electricity poles,” he said.
The Power Minister said that it is expected from the ISPs that they act as per the state IT Policy, and do not flout any rule.
Many areas from different parts of the state have been scattered with large chunks of severed cables, lying either on footpaths and roads, making it difficult for the pedestrians to walk. The cutting of internet cables, however, did not affect offices using BSNL lines.
Later during the day, the electricity department slowed down its cable-cutting activity in response to a barrage of complaints from consumers.
It may be noted that the electricity department had started cutting cables from the poles after the Telecommunications (Right of Way) Rules, 2024 came into effect from January this year. The state has 3,20,000 electricity poles and the ISPs must pay a fee of Rs 300 annually per pole under the new rules.
Electricity department superintending engineer Mayur Hede said the ISPs have been using the department’s facilities free of cost all these years.
Nodal officers to oversee power dept infrastructure
Special Correspondent
Panaji: The government has appointed two nodal officers, who will oversee matters related to the utilisation of electricity department’s infrastructure.
Shailesh Naik Burye, Superintending Engineer, (commercial) office of the Chief Electrical Engineer, Panaji, has been appointed as the nodal officer for North Goa, while Rajiv Samant, Superintending Engineer, South Goa, Margao, has been appointed as the nodal officer for South Goa.
These officers will serve as the point of contact for all stakeholders involved in laying optical fibre cables, telecom cables, internet cables and television cables. They will also handle approvals for installation of poles, mobile towers, small cells and related activities.
Meanwhile, executive engineer of the electricity department Kashinath Shetye has been relieved of these responsibilities.
“The new appointments have been made to streamline coordination and regulatory processes in these sectors,” states an order issued by the electricity department.
