Merces Consumer Forum confronts Electricity Department bosses.

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Documented by Goa Desc Documentation Service
& circulated by Goa Civic & Consumer Action Network
(GOA CAN)<goadesc-0VrrOzQoB60xpvK4C0GaPQ@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Ph:2252660
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Electricity Departments  'too busy' to prepare power bills!
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"Sir, the department was too busy so it did not have the time to
prepare the power bills on time". This was the answer too many
residents of Merces were given, when they sought to know why
their electricity bills were delayed by four months.

This issue was taken by the Merces Civic and Consumer Forum (MCCF).
However, even the forum did not get  a proper response from
the electricity Department officials at the local level.

Unable to stomach the poor performance of the Department any longer,
members of the Forum decided to confront the bosses of the Electricity
Department at its headquarters in Panjim.

According to a press note issued here by the Forum, it was informed to
the NGO, by the shocked consumers that they received their electricity
bill after four months and when " they questioned the local officials they
were told that the same was not prepared as they were very busy and
had no time."

Following this the Forum members decided to investigate further and
did a sample survey among the consumers only to find some more
shocking information, said the MCCF in the press note.

In a virtual sit in,  first in the office of S.N. Jain, Superintendent Engineer
and then in the office of the Chief Engineer  R.A. Ghali, the Forum members
gave the officials a first hand experience of what it takes to be suffering at
the hands of apathetic and uncaring Department officials.

Mrs. Rosy Pais a senior citizen had written to the Junior Engineer on
12th April this year stating that the hanging of a electric cable at a very
low height was causing anxiety to her and her family yet no action was
taken even though she met the J.E. several times.

On hearing the complaint Mr. Jain immediately summoned Inacio
Fernandes Executive Engineer and issued instructions. The forum
members demanded that the concerned Assistant Engineer Umesh Uchil
be summoned to the head office and all assurances be given in his presence.

Mr. Constantine Fernandes another senior citizen had  paid Rs.2360/-
towards the erection of a new pole by cheque in December 1990.
Since the pole was not erected  Mr. Fernandes wrote to the Assistant
Engineer Sub Div I Panjim on 8th March, 1994 nothing materialized,
the Forum members informed.

Twelve years later the pole has still not been erected while the
Department continues to earn interest on the money. Mr. Ghali apologized
for this delay and told Mr.Fernandes that the Department would rectify
the same, the press note says.

During their meeting with Ghali, the Forum members, highlighted
Issues such as irregular power supply and low voltage to the residential
houses in Gaunchem Bhatt, Firguem Bhatt & Mesta Bhatt , non-locking of
shutters of the transformers and non- replacement of power supply
conductors.

Francis Pereira, Forum Secretary brought to the notice of the Chief
Engineer the poor response of the Department to complaints of the
consumers and suggested that a proper complaint book be maintained
at the village Panchayat office. Mr. Ghali assured that appropriate
instructions would be given to Sidney D'Costa the Junior Engineer concerned.

To prevent the Merces problems from repeating themselves, electricity
consumers must be provided with tariff cards and a guidance leaflet on
application of new connections and increase in load, while the consumers
feedback must be given importance by setting up power advisory
consumer sub-committees at the Executive Engineer level with regular
meetings. These were the suggestions put forward to the Chief Engineer
by  the Forum.

The Forum demanded that the Chief Engineer take action on the delay in
billing and provide immediate relief of bi-monthly bills acceptance at the
banks in the village. Mr. Ghali informed that necessary instructions would
be issued and also stated that the Chief Secretary Mr. Baleshwar Rai had
taken serious note of the poor recovery of dues from Merces and other
villages in the Division.

Mr. Ghali explained to the delegation that the Department had called for
a weekly maintenance report from all Assistant Engineers after the death
of Balakrishna S. Yadav  in January last year at Candolim which resulted in
the registration of a police case for criminal negligence and the payment of
compensation of two lakh rupees, the Forum said in the press release.
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HERALD  15/11/02 page 5
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What's On In Goa (WOIG): 
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