MCB fails to complete survey of Fastway cable connections

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, July 31

The Municipal Corporation Bathinda (MCB) has failed to complete its door-to-door cable survey in the city. As per the directions of the Local Bodies Department, the MCB was to complete its survey by July 31 and send its report to the department.

It is pertinent to mention that after receiving instructions from Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu to initiate a grassroots-level probe against Fastway cable, the MCB had deputed officials of the rank of SDO and JE to conduct a door-to-door survey in the city.

Around 70 officials were deputed for this work. They were going to houses in the colonies and asking people about their cable network and even they were taking information of poles and walls supporting cable wires.

In the city, these officials were to collect the data of cable network from around 70,000 households. After this survey, Navjot Sidhu was to impose entertainment tax on cable network because as per the Municipal Act, 1976, the Local Bodies Department has a right to collect entertainment tax. However, the Union Government has kept the cable business out of the GST.

In the survey, officials are also collecting information regarding the cables laid by other companies. The officials who are deputed to conduct a survey were told to ask questions like: how many cable connections are being subscribed to in the house; how cable reach the house; whether the operator is using government poles; whether the operator is using electric or MC poles; where the box has been kept; and from where the operator is getting electricity supply.

It was also instructed that after the survey report, the MC would get to know if Fastway or other companies were using government poles, they had paid money to the government.

As per MCB record of the last 10 years, Fastway had paid money for the wires, but it had not paid any money for using poles. After the earlier record, many new connections and areas have been increased manifold, which will be cleared after the complete survey.

MCB Commissioner Sanyam Aggarwal said it was right that by today we were to complete the door-to-door survey of cable. “Even myself do not know how much work has been done on this as by evening he will get the report regarding the cable survey,” he said.