When C. Renjith, who represents Randalumoodu ward in Thalavoor panchayat, turned up at the counter of Pattazhy Kerala State Electricity Board office carrying a sack, the staff were puzzled. But their bewilderment soon gave way to alarm as it contained one, two, five and ten rupee coins to pay the electricity bills of nine families from his ward.
A unique form of protest against the frequent power outages in the area, it took the entire staff around four hours to count the coins and issue receipts. “They have made our lives hell with recurring power disruptions. One day I counted 50 outages in 24 hours and on an average power goes off at least 20 times a day. Apart from the serious convenience, electronic appliances at many households continue to get damaged. I started planning this after our complaints, queries and requests were met with stark indifference,” Renjith said.
Renjith went to Pattazhy section office with coins weighing more than 50 kg and each ‘kizhi’ had some extra coins to ensure that they will be counted. The total amount was ₹9,737 and it kept the entire office, including the AE, busy till evening.
