The city’s entire cable TV network has been affected by the state Electricity Department’s implementation of a safe electricity infrastructure in Varanasi. So far, cable TV distributors have been stealing power from electricity poles to run the network. Following a crackdown initiated by the Poorvanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Limited (PVVNL) on Monday, from now on the cable TV network will not be able to use electricity poles to provide satellite channels to nearly 3 lakh subscribers in Varanasi. The PVVNL has cut wires used in providing cable TV services from most electricity poles.

Meanwhile, cable TV distributors are counting their losses. “The cutting of wires means a loss of over Rs 35 lakh to nearly 190 cable operators in the city. We will have to start from scratch in order to revive our infrastructure,” said A P Singh, an official of Srinathji Cable Distribution Limited. “The entire network has been cut into pieces to ensure that we have to invest to re-establish the network, the financial burden of which will ultimately fall on consumers,” he added.

The electricity department, on the other hand, maintained it was necessary to cut the wires. “They will have to pay us a nominal monthly rent on per pole basis. They will also have to ensure compliance of safety norms,” S S L Bhatnagar, the PVVNL deputy general manager, said. To this, Singh said: “We are not going to resume our operations only on the assurance of the electricity department. We want a written assurance before fulfilling their requirements.”