Mobile firms owe Panchkula Municipal Corporation Rs 32 crore

Sanjay Bumbroo

Panchkula, July 10

The local Municipal Corporation is to recover a total of Rs 32 crore from mobile companies which have laid wires to increase their network in the city. Today, the MC took action against three companies, which owe the civic body about Rs 1 crore, by cutting their mobile tower connections and lines.

The enforcement wing of the MC, along with officials of the engineering wing, snapped the connections of Idea, Vodafone and Jio. These companies had laid wires through sewer lines of the Haryana Shahri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP).

The MC officials said these companies had taken permission to lay wires through 10 manholes. It was found that almost double the sanctioned length of wires had been laid by the companies. The MC had served notices on these companies but the latter failed to provide any satisfactory reply.

Tower connections and lines of various mobile companies have been snapped for about four times earlier also. It is likely that the

representatives of these mobile companies will meet the Mayor and the Municipal Commissioner tomorrow to deposit the outstanding amount.

A team of the civic body cut the lines of Idea and Vodafone firms in Sector 4. The tower connections and lines of Jio, Idea and Vodafone were also snapped in Sectors 16, 20, 21 and 26.

Strict action has been taken against these companies after Mayor Kulbhushan Goyal took over the reins of the MC. Various companies have deposited Rs 18 crore in the past one year.