‘Heroinchees’ put CDGK in communication isolation
KARACHI (October 04 2007): Suspension of communication was witnessed when an organised gang of ‘heroinchees’ (drug addicts) twice stole telephone cable connecting the City District Government, Karachi (CDGK), with the rest of the world.
“On two Saturdays (September 22 and 29), hundreds of feet of telephone cable was cut and stolen by an organised gang of ‘heroinchees’ near Caltex petrol pump, which left the Civic Centre building disconnected from the outside world”, an official in CDGK told Business Recorder on Wednesday.
He said that the entire communication network of City government was out of order due to which all departmental offices of Executive District Officers (EDOs) and District Officers (DOs) were facing difficulty in undertaking developmental works being executed in their respective jurisdictions and making contacts with the citizens.
“Neither internet nor telephone service is working properly for at least last two weeks which would ultimately bring suffering to the people of Karachi”, the official said.
He said that on the Saturday night of September 22, the heroinchees had stolen around 1200 feet cable of the National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC), and on last Saturday they did it again.
“The heroinchees always choose weekends for stealing when people usually remain busy in preparing to celebrate holiday”, he said. He said that the thieves–heroinchees–get big amounts for the stolen telephone cables, which contains aluminium, copper and iron which are priced at Rs 300-350, Rs 200-250 and Rs 30-40 per kg respectively in the Kabari market (market of second hand goods).
The CDGK official accused police of patronising the drug addicts and taking big commission in the loot “maal” or stuff. He said that according to the DO Communication department and the NTC staff the problem was caused by the ongoing developmental work in the city which had damaged the utility cables.
“NTC says machines which are used for diggings roads under the developmental work are responsible for the problem while the CDGK’s communication department opines the same”, he said.
The official demanded of the NTC and its mother institution Pakistan Telecommunication Corporation (PTCL) of arranging security guards to protect the utility cables like many other private companies.
When asked if some improvement in the telephone service was made by the NTC he said this was by last Monday when they restored some of the CDGK’s telephone lines while most of them are still isolated from the outside world in terms of telecommunication.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:10/4/2007
” 
” 
” 
” 
