Dombivali-Kalyan Plus - Tired of persistent power-cuts, residents dash letter to CM, News,

A copy of the letter that was sent to the CM

That the suburbs are facing a bad time when it comes power management is nothing new. However, in a bid to make their power problems heard by the government, a local consumer body has adopted a unique method. The body has sent a missive to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra requesting him to ensure that the government offices keep their ACs switched off in this dark hour and set an example.

The Kalyan Consumers Welfare Organization (KCWO), a three-year-old NGO founded by prominent academics and residents of the city on August 30 through their letter, requested the babus and ministers in Mantralya to switch off their air conditioners and save precious energy from morning 6 am to 10 pm, thus setting a model for other state government offices in the process.

"In this time of persistent energy crisis faced by the state, we want the chief minister of our state to send a strong signal of economy to the bureaucrats by this gesture. It will also send the right message to the people outside Mumbai that as their chosen representative, CM is also adopting self-imposed measures to save costly energy," says Prakash Manjrekar, senior advisor to the NGO that has taken up many issues related to the consumers' overall welfare in its short existence as a rights body. "The power situation outside Mumbai and Thane cities is getting worse by the day. Suburbs beyond Thane are experiencing load shedding up to seven-to-eight hours per day, despite paying all the bills on time. It is really a sad development for the residents of the area. While common man suffers a lot, the energy consumption is high in government offices that can be easily curbed by this simple self-willed measure," believes N S Patil, president of the organization.

The NGO has suggested a series of some stark power-saving steps-including a total ban on the ACs in the offices, punitive action against its use during the office-hours and ban on the use of flood lights during functions and for hoardings throughout the state to help combat the crisis now spiraling out of control. They expect the babus in the Mantralya to go for the self-imposed ban on these polluting power-guzzlers that will save environment and power, an act that can win them the approval of the suffering public in general. Copies of the hand-written letter were also sent to the offices of the governor, chief justice and MSEDCL.

The members are awaiting response and claim that if they do not get any response from the Mantralaya or the CM's office, they are ready to follow it up with another reminder. People's power as they say.

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