Remove cables or pay up, power dept tells internet service providers.Electricity Department

The Electricity Department has served an ultimatum to Internet and other service providers to either remove their cables hanging on its poles or pay up the fees prescribed by the end of the current month. Kashinath Shetye, recently promoted as Executive Engineer, said the service providers have been given until January 31 to either remove their wires from the poles or pay the department the necessary costs. Shetye had a meeting with the service providers days after the Electricity department removed several of these wires last weekend. "They were given the 15-day window to pay their dues and regularise the use of department's poles to hang their cables after they pleaded for time," Shetye told. He said, the rules require them to pay Rs 300 per pole annually and they must also run the cables underground wherever ducts are available.