SANGAREDDY: Fed up with the frequent power cuts and apathy of officials, residents of a Sangareddy village tied up two bill collectors and a lineman of the Electricity Department at the panchayat office and refused to release them until their problems were resolved.
As tempers flared and a heated argument broke out, the police managed to pacify the villagers, released the staff and arrested five persons on charges of assault. Like every month, bill collectors Esaiah and Ravi visited Muslapur village at Alladurgam mandal in the district around 8.30 am to collect electricity bills. The furious villagers cornered them over the frequent power cuts and how the officials did not care to address their repeated complaints regarding the same.
They also told the bill collectors about a recent short circuit in a residential area which burnt many people’s television sets, refrigerators and other appliances. The staff told them that power supply is not under their purview and that they should take their problems to a lineman or the AE. The villagers said they received this reply every month. They forced the bill collectors to stay put until a senior official reached the spot.
When an argument broke out between the two parties, Esaiah and Ravi called up Nawaz, a lineman, and informed him about the situation. Nawaz rushed to the spot and tried to pacify the villagers. He told them that he has to look after the work at Gadipeddapur and two other tribal thandas of Alladurgam mandal, apart from Muslapur, and hence some delay must have occurred in taking up their complaints. He assured the villagers that there would be no delay here on and he would personally ensure that they do not face any more problems.
But the villagers were not satisfied with Nawaz’s explanation and tied him up and the two bill collectors to the pillars of a newly constructed panchayat office. They were adamant not to release them unless the electricity department AD met them and resolved their issues.
Officials flay rope ‘punishment’
The staff then contacted Assistant Engineer Rambabu, who alerted the Alladurgam police. Rambabu and Alladurgam Sub-Inspector A Mohan Reddy reached the panchayat office and angrily questioned the villagers’ actions. The officials told them that they should have brought their problems to the notice of the higher-ups and not tied up the on-duty staff with ropes. This further aggravated the villagers who, in turn, questioned the officials as to how they could get angry with the people instead of solving their problems.
The SI intervened and pacified the villagers. He took the electricity staff to the police station. The police arrested N Narsimulu, A Laxmaiah, Annaram Anajaiah, N Shanker and P Durgaiah for assaulting the officials, he said, adding that a case has also been registered.