BHUBANESWAR: The department of Telecommunication (DoT) under the Ministry of Communication has urged the Odisha government to mandate use of the Centre’s CBuF (call before you dig) initiative for all kinds of project works in the state to minimise losses due to unmonitored digging activities, especially in urban areas.
Briefing mediapersons on the citizen-centric initiatives of DoT here on Monday, additional DG of Telecom, Odisha Licensed Service Area (LSA), M Murali Krishna said the CBuF initiative rolled out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2023 is an innovative solution to prevent damage to underground utility infrastructure such as telecom, gas, water, electricity etc., caused by excavation activities.
Authorities from the Odisha LSA of DoT informed that currently over 25,000 stakeholders including over 500 from Odisha, have registered themselves in the CBuF application. However, the state government has been urged to mandate its use for all stakeholders and mention the same in tender documents of the projects that involve digging and excavation work to prevent damage to utility infrastructure.
Citizens can also download CBuF mobile app and report any excavation to be done in their locality to check any damage to common assets and prevent disruption in utility services.
Krishna also said that the DoT has initiated multiple initiatives including Sanchar Saathi app to protect telecom users across the country from cyber fraud.
“Everyone should download the Sanchar Saathi app as it empowers citizens to protect themselves against telecom fraud, cyber crime and misuse of mobile connections. It enables citizens to report suspicious communications via calls, SMS or WhatsApp etc., and even help them block lost or stolen mobile devices across all telecom networks in India,” he added.
The additional DG of Telecom underlined that financial transactions from desktops at home are much better as compared to cell phones. “The lesser number of financial apps you keep in your mobile phone, the better,” he said, advising people to strictly avoid downloading any link and carrying out any instructions from unknown numbers in their mobile phones.
Deputy director general (DDG) of DoT Odisha LSA, Manoj Kumar Patel said currently Odisha has over 3.72 crore telecom users.