Falling under the dominion of JKPDCL (Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Corporation Limited) the Kashmir valley has nearly eight lakh LTE and HT electric poles. Many of these electric poles are used by private and government telecom service providers without any license, fee, or rent, to carry the fiber-optic internet/broadband lines in various population clusters across the valley.
In an investigation carried out by Kashmir Despatch, it was revealed that only one of the telecom companies offering broadband services in Kashmir valley had entered into a contract with JKPDCL to use the electric poles to carry the fiber-optic internet/broadband lines on electric poles across Kashmir. All the rest of the telecom companies, in gross exploitation of government resources, were found to be using the electric poles without any prior permission, license, agreement, or rent.
Reliance Jio, the company that has entered into a contract with Jammu Kashmir Power Development Corporation Limited is paying a rent of 500 Rs. per annum towards the corporation on service of each electric pole. An annual increase of 10% in the rent has also been agreed upon by JK government-owned JKPDCL and Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio.
Pertinently, there are more than nine broadband service providers in Kashmir valley, including Airtel Broadband, BSNL Broadband, ACT Broadband, JIO Fibernet, ION Broadband, Tata Broadband, Vodafone Broadband, and Tikona Broadband. Though some of these service providers are lesser-known, the number of broadband subscribers in Kashmir valley alone is estimated to be very huge. According to a report furnished by the Ministry of Communications in 2019, Jammu and Kashmir accounted for 59 lakh broadband subscribers in 2019.
“JKPDCL – Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Corporation Limited, previously JKSPDC, is a Government of J&K enterprise, therefore, if the corporation is failing to collect the revenue where it’s due, then this oversight is costing the exchequer millions of rupees in rent or fee. The telecom companies that are using the electric poles, which is government property, are committing trespass in the eyes of law. JKPDCL is a corporation owned by the government of Jammu and Kashmir, which means that even if a telecom company is controlled by the government, like BSNL, it still has to pay for the services that the company is availing from JKPDCL,” Informed a senior official from Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Corporation Limited, on a condition of anonymity.
“I am failing to understand how the corporation allowed the telecom companies to use the electric poles in the first place without even acquiring any permission or without entering a contract? What sort of lawlessness is this that any business venture is allowed to use the government property without any prior permission from the competent authority?” asked Aijaz Ahmad, a Junior Engineer in Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Corporation Limited.
When Kashmir Despatch reached the office of Aijaz Ahmad Dar, Chief Engineer, Jammu Kashmir Power Development Corporation Limited confirmed that except for one telecom company, the rest were using the electric poles belonging to the corporation without any prior permission or agreement from the corporation.
“We have issued compliance notices to all the telecom companies that are availing the service of our HT and LTE electric poles in Kashmir valley. They have been asked to come forward and reach an agreement with the corporation. If they fail to comply, necessary action would follow against them,” the official added further.