Sick and tired of recurring cases of cables´ robbery, Nepal Telecom (NTC) has stopped telephone service, leaving hundreds of locals with no means of telecommunication. [break]
Especially in ward number 14 and 15 of Butwal and Ghodaha of adjacent village of Devdaha, cases of cables´ robbery has been taking place almost every other night for the past three years. Despite complaints from locals, the police have turned a blind eye to such thefts.
“Cables are stolen repeatedly,” Bhanu Bhakta Lamsal, network chief of NTC, Butwal, says. “At times, thefts occur just a day after we repair it. So we stopped repairing the lines.”
Robbery cases have increased after locals stopped night patrolling. “Mobile phones´ network is not sound,” said Bipin Rana, a local resident, adding, “We feel like living in a remote village.”
According to Lamsal, NTC has incurred a loss of Rs 10 million in the past three years owing to robbery of cables. Lamsal said NTC is working out a plan to provide telephone service by using optical fibers.
Related story
What's on my phone with Samyog Guragain
