Dear Editor,
Coming together is a Beginning - Keeping together is Progress - Working together is Success.
No Power - No Competition - No Justice - Not Enough Awareness - Not United To Fight.
Our country is starved of power. There seems to be no sensitivity to the urgency of building new power plants. We are discussing very seriously about alternative sources of energy. The demand gap just is getting worst.
This kills competition. Common man is forced to pay through the nose. There are regulating authorities to look after the pricing but suspicion looms large as people cry foul as they see violations of legal provisions.
Judiciary is biased and justice is elusive. Is the cost of energy comparable among the different distributors?
Compared to Electromechanical Energy Meters, the Electronic Meters seem to indicate higher consumption and their calibration being doubted. Can the consumer buy their meters manufactured and tested as per standards? Can we ask the power distributing company to test in a reputed third party lab?
Take a Careful look at the Electricity Bill: Pl go through the details of various charges in the bills There is a big list which need an expert to explain and understand.
Get curious to know what they are and why they are charged? If the charges seem to be unreasonable, get clarifications and verifications from authentic and reliable sources?
Are they padded up? Apparently the bills look that serious analysis and thought process have gone through in making it. Compare it with other power distributors in the city and other states. Why we are paying so high?
Consumers- Reclassified: There are different categories of consumers. If industries, schools, hotels or other sectors forced to pay huge sums towards energy, transport etc they will be ultimately reflected in their products and services. The higher cost of these will be recovered from the public, the consumers.
What is to done: Let us start intently looking at our bills and meters.
High cost of seeking remedy through courts and the time require keeping track and follow- up saps our energy. We must start asking questions and not to accept every thing. Awareness is the seed.
The greatest weakness is consumers, public and NGOs are not organized and they don't unitedly take up the issues and raise their objections being echoed in the board rooms, municipalities, Vidhan Sabha, Lok Sabha and other decision making bodies. - The proper forum for our grievances.
Getting the truth and justice is not going to be easy. but start resisting and questioning. At least we support those who take up the cause. Please freely share your knowledge.
Use this platform for improving the status of the masses.

P.N.Sridharan, Email - p.n.sridharan@gmail.com