Electricity dept halts cutting of internet cables

Panaji: The Goa electricity department has directed its engineers to stop cutting, dismantling, and disconnecting internet and cable TV cables until further orders.
The directions issued by the chief electrical engineer, Stephen Fernandes, to all executive engineers and nodal officers, instructed them to keep the cutting of cables in abeyance until further orders.
Last week, the nodal officer and executive engineer of the department, Kashinath Shetye, restarted snapping cables in the state capital. This action was based on a complaint from a Panaji resident and occurred a day after the All Goa Internet Service Providers Association failed to obtain a stay order from the high court and withdrew its petition.
Shetye cleared six poles on 18th June Road of the illegally strung cables. Fernandes said on Thursday that a mistake was made in the past by permitting the operators to string their cables on the department's poles. He added that the department was at fault for not taking action from day one.
However, he added that the department cannot make an abrupt decision to immediately cut the cables now. He stated that his staff was doing their duty when they cut cables recently but added that the department also has a responsibility not to disrupt essential services.