Residents Protest at Mescom Branch Office in Moodubelle

By Anil Alva
Bellevision Media Network

Moodubelle, 21 March 2011: Residents of Moodubelle carried out protest at Mescom Branch Office in Moodubelle on Monday 21st March 2011 morning at 09.15 am against the poor services offered regarding collection of electricity bills. People demanded that the bills should be collected 4 times in a month instead of 3 times (15th, 20th and 26th) and two staff should be deputed for collecting the bills instead of one staff.

 

On this matter people had earlier made the appeal for about 2 – 3 times with the Officers In charge. But these appeals were ignored and there has been no action on this. Hence this protest was conducted by the people by stopping the paying of bills at Mescom Branch Office in Moodubelle and demanded that they shall continue this protest until the Officer In charge comes and addresses this issue and fulfill their demands.

 

 

Seeing the S.O. (Section officer) Basavraj Raje in that place made the people angrier. At last A.E.E. (Assistant Executive Engineer) Shankar arrived to the place. People told him that we have to stand in the hot sun for hours and wait for the turn to pay the bills and explained him on the difficulties in paying the bills. Shankar questioned to the people saying that “we have only 5 staff with us, what we can do?” People returned the question to him saying that “when we do not pay the bills, do you have staff for cutting the electricity line?”

 

The argument between A.E.E. Shankar and the people continued for some time. Then one person said that some days ago while the bills were being paid, in between the staff stopped receiving bills, saying that the bill book is finished and sent back the people who came to pay the bills. A.E.E. finally buckled to the demands of the people and assured them that he will arrange for more staff to resolve this problem and then the people pulled back their protest and allowed the bill payments to continue.

 

In this protest about 100 – 150 people participated which included some of the leaders of Moodubelle such as Jerald Fernandes – Jilla Panchayath Former President, Devdas Hebbar – President of Taluk Panchayath, Shashidar Vagle – Belle Panchayath Member, Rajendra Shetty, Karunakara Karkera - Manipura Panchayath Member and others.