Dangling cables irk shopkeepers in Putlighar; want these removed

Manmeet Gill

Amritsar, June 24

The facade of commercial buildings in Putlighar area, one of the busiest shopping centres in the city, have been defaced by cobwebs of cables put up by private internet companies, telecom operators and cable network providers.

Shopkeepers in the market complain that at places where there are no street light poles or electricity poles, private companies have used walls of the private buildings to tie their cables. They complain that these dangling wires are not only an eyesore, but also lead to a short-circuit.

The cables put up by these private companies can be seen crisscrossing over the streets everywhere. “The misuse of electricity poles for putting up cables of private companies should be stopped immediately. The municipal corporation should take immediate action,” said Sunil Sharma, a shopkeeper, adding that “in Chandigarh, the MC earns crores of rupees as revenue from these firms for laying cables.”

Residents demand that the municipal corporation should order the private companies to lay their cables underground so that cobwebs of cables can be removed from the streets. Another resident Sukhwinder Singh said, “If these wires can be removed from the Heritage Street area, which surely, has increased the beauty of the place, why cannot it be done in other areas.” He said asking private companies to remove their cables from street lights and electricity poles would cost nothing to the MC. The shopkeepers say that their properties are worth crores and they have spent huge amounts on constructing beautiful facades to attract people, but the cobwebs have futiled all their efforts.