Cable theft hits Nepal Telecom, consumers

Banke, December 15:

Nearly 400 telephone lines are disrupted after thieves stole cable in the main market here, according to Nepal Telecom (NT) Nepalgunj branch office. NT has lost tens of millions of rupees in the recent days due to continuous theft of its cable. The consumers, however, have to bear the burnt as they are directly hit.

Acting head and engineer at the office, Ram Prasad Mishra said that the cable worth more than ten million rupees has already been stolen.

“The telephone cable in most part of Nepalgunj has been stolen,” he said, adding that they reinstalled the cable more than three times. “The thieves continue to steal the cable and we are helpless,” he added.

The NT stated that 100 phone lines from the district police office to Khajura, 150 lines from Shiv Nagar to Ranjha airport, 40 lines from the customs office to bordering Jamunaha police post, 60 lines at Sangam Nagar and 40 lines of Karmona area were disrupted. The thieves steal NT cable because it has copper wire inside it that can fetch them good money.

Consumers lament the NT because they are the ultimate victims. On one hand, they are deprived of phone services and on the other they must have to pay minimum monthly charges.

Mishra said that NT sought the police help several times “but we have not been able to stop the stealing of cable.

Leave alone stealing in others places, the thieves have stole cables within one hundred metres of the district police office. It is a serious problem in Nepalgunj at present.”

“If the police cannot stop such thefts of cable in time, the NT and consumers, both will face serious problem in future,” he said, adding that the police has, however, arrested four thieves red handed but the court remanded them in absence of the proper law.

“Weak legal procedure has also hit consumers and NT.”