I have to bring to your notice an unpleasant incident as it affects a large number of people. On the evening of March 2, at about 6.45 pm, I saw the electric cable from the pole to my house on fire at the joint near my house roof.
Seeing the seriousness of the issue, I immediately telephoned 2754969 to inform about this mishap. However, the response from the telephone department was that “this phone is temporarily suspended.”
Seeing no other option, I decided to drive (at my tender age of 80 years) and that too late evening to the electricity department at Cansaulim, where I noticed about five linemen sitting.
When I questioned them about the phone not functioning, I was shocked to hear from them that the phone connection for the past one month had been stopped “for non payment of telephone bills by the electricity department”.
This made me wonder whether we were still in the 19th century and whether we have any elected members of the panchayat or Assembly to look into such issues or whether we have any government at all. Or is it that the government exists only to look after the cities and neglect the villages.
Ignoring my bad experience I must thank the linemen who promptly came to the spot and did the necessary rectification. At least the linemen had the sense of duty, but not the immediate of supervisory officers.
Is it that the government has no funds to clear the telephone bills, despite charging consumers under different heads in addition to the actual energy charges? Are all collections used for the work of underground cabling in those of the constituencies, which matter more? As matter of fact the underground cabling was started in our constituency about four years ago on the main road but unfortunately it sees no conclusiveness, possibly because there is not enough political will and force.
Lets hope such things are kept in mind for the co
