'Cable-laying work damaging City roads'

Yediyur corporator N R Ramesh said eight companies were digging City roads and were drawing cables through sanitary pipelines.

He said the fund-starved Palike can rake up a whopping Rs 59 crore by levying a mere 10 paisa tax on telecom companies digging City roads to lay optical fibres.

Quoting media reports that eight telecom companies were laying optical fibres of 4,000 km length, he said an insignificant increase of one paisa in the fee levied on the companies would yield additional revenue of at least Rs 18 cr and an increase of 10 paisa would swell Palike coffers by Rs 59 cr.

The transfer of First Division Clerks, gangmen and engineers to other Corporations in the State came up for discussion during the Zero Hour.

Standing Committee on Accounts chairman Gangabyraiah sought to know as to who authorised such transfers and whether Section 91(A) of the Karnataka Municipalities Act applies to the BBMP.

He said an executive engineer appointed for the Palike has been transferred to Shimoga Municipal Corporation.  “Why were they employed here in the first place then,” he questioned.

Commissioner Siddaiah said those who were transferred had approached the government seeking transfer. He said the transferred staffers would be recalled if the Council so wished.