Midnight calls as novel protest

PUNE, April 6: Hunger strikes, rasta rokos, stop work agitations, silent marches, noisy demonstrations and pen down agitations... the list i...

PUNE, April 6: Hunger strikes, rasta rokos, stop work agitations, silent marches, noisy demonstrations and pen down agitations8230; the list is endless, but even traditional methods of protest find few takers with authorities getting wiser to the game.

Probably frustrated by the lack of response to their numerous pleas to Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd, Dr Shriram Pande, president of the Sanghvi branch of the Senior Citizens8217; Association has threatened to resort to a unique agitation 8211; calling up the concerned senior officials by telephone after the stroke of midnight and every consequent hour therein to relate their woes. If nothing, the incessant ring of the phone can be guaranteed to put a spoke in the sound sleep of the officials, he says adding that the agitation has been named zopmod andolan sleep disturbing agitation.

The reason for the unusual agitation apparently is the extra money charged by the gas agency employees under the garb of home delivery of the cylinders without issuing anyproper receipt for the same. Dr Pande contended that the association had made several complaints to the officials of the company about the alleged malpractices of the employees and their attitude to the consumers, little heed was paid to them.

A written complaint to the manager of the company makes charges about the extra Rs 6.35 collected for every cylinder by the Kankariya Gas Agency in Sanghvi.

Dr Pande had booked a cylinder which arrived by home delivery on March 19. According to him, the employee charged him Rs 145 as against the memo8217;s amount of Rs 138.65. Dr Pande alleges that when he contacted the proprietor Kankariya, he was told that the agency was recouping charges of petrol and asked him to pay Rs 144. Dr Pande then asked the employee to wait and contacted V P Panniker of the Customer Service Cell of the company complaining about the extra money charged. Thereafter the manager is understood to have directed the employee to return the extra Rs 4, requesting Dr Pande to lodge a formal writtencomplaint. Dr Pande alleges that he still had to pay Rs 1.35 extra to the employee while the counterfoil mentioned a payment of Rs 140.