HC notice over damage to Reliance Jio’s infrastructure amid farmer protests

New Delhi, Jan 05: The Punjab and Haryana High Court issued notices to the Punjab government and Centre on a plea filed by Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), whose Jio Infocomm towers were allegedly targeted by a section of farmers in Punjab protesting against the farm laws.

RIL sought immediate intervention in this regard and the company has accused vested interests of instigating and aiding the vandals.

"Reliance Industries Limited, through its subsidiary Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, in a petition mentioned to be filed in Punjab and Haryana High Court today, has sought urgent intervention of govt authorities to bring a complete stop to illegal acts of vandalism by miscreants," according to news agency ANI.

"These acts of violence have endangered the lives of thousands of employees and caused damage and disruption to the vital communications infrastructure. The miscreants indulging in vandalism have been instigated and aided by vested interests and our business rivals," RIL also said.

Further RIL said that it had no plans of entering corporate farming and said that it has not purchased any land in India for this. "We shall insist on our suppliers to strictly abide by the Minimum Support Price (MSP) mechanism. We have immense gratitude and the greatest respect for India's kisans, who are the 'ANNA DATA' of 1.3 billion Indians," RIL said.

In a letter to the chief minister, Jio flagged the acts of sabotage and vandalism at its network sites "by unknown persons in the disguise of ongoing farmers agitation".

It alleged that the damage being inflicted is "deliberate" in nature with "ulterior motives and clear intent" of causing maximum disruption to the company''s infrastructure and services.

"We humbly request for your kind intervention by a direction from your good office to the district administration to take action against the miscreants who caused this damage, and prevention of any further damage as apart from losses to the infrastructure, people of Punjab are suffering because their life is getting impacted severely in carrying out their day to day activity, education, business, study etc," Jio said in the letter to the chief minister on December 27.

The letter comes at a time when the farmers protesting against three new farm laws have been vandalising telecom towers in Punjab under the belief that they are owned by Mukesh Ambani whom they consider along with tycoon Gautam Adani as major beneficiaries of the new laws.