Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, the two leading telecom operators in India, have been slapped with fines by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). The reason behind the fines is illegally digging up new roads for laying telecom infrastructure. According to a Deccan Herald report, the telcos, including two other companies - VAC Teleinfra Solution Private Limited and Telesonic Networks Limited have illegally installed telecom towers on the footpath and tied wires to the trees. All of the above-mentioned companies will have to pay a fine of Rs 20 lakh for digging up new roads in Jayanagar without prior permission. Former Corporator and BJP leader N R Ramesh complained to the BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath about the telecom towers on the footpaths. Ramesh had demanded a fine imposed of Rs 20 crore on each of the companies for violating the rules laid out by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The publication wrote that BBMP is silent on similar violations in other parts of the city.
