Our wires selectively cut by Electricity Dept., alleges Guntur cable firm

Operators of a cable network on Monday alleged that officials of the electricity department, acting at the behest of an influential ruling party leader in the city, had snapped their wires in the city in the early hours of March 25.

Operators of a cable network on Monday alleged that officials of the electricity department, acting at the behest of an influential ruling party leader in the city, had snapped their wires in the city in the early hours of March 25.

Representatives of The Master Channel Community Network Pvt. Ltd., which is associated with Siti Cable in the city, on Monday lodged a complaint with the Superintendent of Police. “Some electricity department staff in collusion with some other miscreants unauthorisedly cut only Siti Cable wires on the electric poles leaving all other network cables intact,” they said while speaking to the media here on Monday.

“Almost all the cables hanging on the electric poles in Guntur city and suburbs were cut by the department unauthorisedly, despite paying the pole rents every month as per the rules,” alleged D. Krishna Mohan, managing director of Siti Siri Digital Network in Guntur. He alleged that a YSRCP leader was behind this as he wanted the subscribers to shift to his own cable network.

We have approached the High Court urging it to direct the department not to take coercive action against us, Mr. Krishna Mohan said, adding that the High Court had issued an interim order in 2020 when a similar incident had occurred.

Guntur City Cable TV Operators Association members Ch. Anjaneyulu (KVP Colony), J. Praveen Babu (Gorantla), P. Venkata Rao (Arundalpet), and S. Gouri Sankar (RTC Colony) alleged that the electricity department had cut their wires without serving a notice.

Reacting to the allegations, A. Murali Krishna Yadav, Superintendent of Engineering, A.P. Central Power Distribution Corporation Ltd (APCPDCL), Guntur said that he has instructed the authorities to remove bundles of wires on the poles which are causing inconvenience to linemen during emergencies. He explained that they have given permission only for tying a single wire to the pole, but the operators and other internet providers have been tying wire bundles. He also added that he had issued general orders to the staff to remove all unauthorised cables along with the bundles.

“There is no selective removal of the wires as alleged by the Siti Cable network. If that is true, we will initiate appropriate action against the concerned staff after an inquiry,” Mr. Murali Krishna added.