I have typed this using BlogPress for iPad. Just wanted to see if it appears on Blogger and Wordpress at the same time!
- Well...and that's how I feel... (Posted using BlogPress from my iPad)
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
Conflicting Proverbs and Idioms
As a child, in School, I was quite confused about quite a few things that we were taught! I guess that came with the territory. However, there is one part that bothers me even today and that is the part about conflicting Proverbs, Idioms and oft used phrases.
Since I really haven't been able to 'resolve' is, I thought I may as well pen this down (does anyone even use this phrase anymore?) for you all to see - and, if possible, help me to figure it out!
Here are a few of them that really have me confused!
1. We are often told to LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP, but isn't it also true that PROCRASTINATION IS THE THIEF OF TIME?
2. Similarly, HASTE MAKES WASTE, but its only THE EARLY BIRD WHICH CATCHES THE WORM!
3. It is true that if we stay away from something for too long it is natural that ABSENCE MAKETH THE HEART GROW FONDER, yet it is known that FAMILIARITY BREEDS CONTEMPT.
4. While OPPOSITES ATTRACT, we are also taught that it is always BIRDS OF A FEATHER WHO FLOCK TOGETHER!
5. VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE, yet we are told that A BIRD IN HAND IS WORTH TWO IN THE BUSH!
6. TOO MANY COOKS SPOIL THE BROTH, but if at the same time, MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK!
7. WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE GOOSE IS GOOD FOR THE GANDER, but ONE MAN'S MEAT IS ANOTHER MAN'S POISON!
Well, these are the few that have me (still) confused - and If my School English teacher is reading this, she'd wonder how come I got 91% in the 10th!
If you think of any more such conflicting ones, please feel free to comment and write in - so while we can AGREE TO DISAGREE we can still BE ON THE SAME PAGE :)
Well ... and that's how I feel ...
Since I really haven't been able to 'resolve' is, I thought I may as well pen this down (does anyone even use this phrase anymore?) for you all to see - and, if possible, help me to figure it out!
Here are a few of them that really have me confused!
1. We are often told to LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP, but isn't it also true that PROCRASTINATION IS THE THIEF OF TIME?
2. Similarly, HASTE MAKES WASTE, but its only THE EARLY BIRD WHICH CATCHES THE WORM!
3. It is true that if we stay away from something for too long it is natural that ABSENCE MAKETH THE HEART GROW FONDER, yet it is known that FAMILIARITY BREEDS CONTEMPT.
4. While OPPOSITES ATTRACT, we are also taught that it is always BIRDS OF A FEATHER WHO FLOCK TOGETHER!
5. VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE, yet we are told that A BIRD IN HAND IS WORTH TWO IN THE BUSH!
6. TOO MANY COOKS SPOIL THE BROTH, but if at the same time, MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK!
7. WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE GOOSE IS GOOD FOR THE GANDER, but ONE MAN'S MEAT IS ANOTHER MAN'S POISON!
Well, these are the few that have me (still) confused - and If my School English teacher is reading this, she'd wonder how come I got 91% in the 10th!
If you think of any more such conflicting ones, please feel free to comment and write in - so while we can AGREE TO DISAGREE we can still BE ON THE SAME PAGE :)
Well ... and that's how I feel ...
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
Eulogy of Sangeeta Ohri, my mother
This is the text of the Eulogy delivered at the Special Mass for our mother, on Fri, Oct 1 at Holy Cross Church, Kurla West, Mumbai. My elder brother, Sanjay, said this on behalf of the two of us...
Good Evening,
On behalf of our family, we would first like to thank everyone for taking the time out to attend this mass and pay your last respects to our mother and would just like to share a few words about her.
In addition to being a good mother, she was also our friend and guide with a very caring disposition and great courage. That one word "courage" was evident throughout her life because when she was born, her father had already passed away and when she was only 6 months old, her mother passed away. She was raised by her grandmother who had a positive influence on her life.
During her school years, she was active in dramatics, sports and dancing. For those who remember, in Thane, she was also known as the "Galyan Sakhli" girl. Courage again surfaced when she had a love marriage with my father but against all odds, she raised us with the best of education, upbringing and values.
She was a very caring person and her style of showing appreciation and care was unique. It was this care that enabled her to look after handicapped, preschool and underprivileged children for almost 40 years selflessly (all volunteer work) in the capacity of a being a principal, organizer, teacher and mentor. She often referred to the kids she worked with as "my children" and she was well-loved by their families as well.
She was very humble when she received many awards for her social service and community work, including a recognition in Who's Who in the World / America / American Women (for the last 10 years) and an Award for Women's Welfare. But being a grassroots worker, she preferred to involve herself in her work quietly than seek any merit or publicity.
If one were to list her accomplishments, we would be here a long while and some of it included training teachers, conducting global workshops, seminars, conferences, courses in education and rehabilitation of normal/handicapped children, as well as underprivileged persons.
Some of the organizations she was associated with (and was an active member) were S.E.C. (Society for the Education of the Crippled) Day School, I.A.P.E. (Indian Association for Pre-school Education), B.C.J. General Hospital (Santa Cruz), All India Balkan-ji-Bari, Bombay Vigilance Association, O.M.E.P., Soroptomist International, YWCA, Poona Women's Council and many more.
Having lived in India and the USA for many years, she was an excellent communicator (fluent in over 7 languages) and had a sense of great understanding of different cultures and always served as a role model for those who needed help in bridging the gap between East and West. She was a great cook as some of you know and it gave her great happiness to feed people. Needless to say, she was a very helpful person and if you ever needed help and turned to her, she would never refuse anyone.
She wore her heart on her sleeve and if she liked anything, she shared it with everyone and if she didn't like anything and she loved you, she felt it was better to tell you things that you need to know for your own good! But she never gave up her caring spirit till the end - which again surfaced when she was at Lourdes and she was so happy at being able to make this pilgrimage that she lit a candle for each of you that she knew and also prayed for all departed souls.
In the few days after she passed away, there were French, Italian and English masses offered in Lourdes at various churches by different international groups (including the Lourdes' hospitality organization that manages all the shrines at Lourdes). On October 17th, the Vatican has approved the canonization of Brother Andre to be a saint (he's the one who started the St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal – it’s the largest cathedral in North America). On that day in Rome, during his canonization to be a Saint, the mass will be offered in memory of our mother.
It's probably these silver linings that we can force ourselves to accept the reason of her departure from this world and we believe that she is in eternal healing of Our Lady of Lourdes. Maybe, God, destiny and Mom herself would not have had it any other way.
May her soul rest in peace and God give us all the strength to handle this irreparable loss. Incidentally, Mom made it a point that people never went hungry when they came to meet her, so today in spirit she has ensured the same. Please join us for some light refreshments after mass.
Thank you once again for all your support and God bless.
Good Evening,
On behalf of our family, we would first like to thank everyone for taking the time out to attend this mass and pay your last respects to our mother and would just like to share a few words about her.
In addition to being a good mother, she was also our friend and guide with a very caring disposition and great courage. That one word "courage" was evident throughout her life because when she was born, her father had already passed away and when she was only 6 months old, her mother passed away. She was raised by her grandmother who had a positive influence on her life.
During her school years, she was active in dramatics, sports and dancing. For those who remember, in Thane, she was also known as the "Galyan Sakhli" girl. Courage again surfaced when she had a love marriage with my father but against all odds, she raised us with the best of education, upbringing and values.
She was a very caring person and her style of showing appreciation and care was unique. It was this care that enabled her to look after handicapped, preschool and underprivileged children for almost 40 years selflessly (all volunteer work) in the capacity of a being a principal, organizer, teacher and mentor. She often referred to the kids she worked with as "my children" and she was well-loved by their families as well.
She was very humble when she received many awards for her social service and community work, including a recognition in Who's Who in the World / America / American Women (for the last 10 years) and an Award for Women's Welfare. But being a grassroots worker, she preferred to involve herself in her work quietly than seek any merit or publicity.
If one were to list her accomplishments, we would be here a long while and some of it included training teachers, conducting global workshops, seminars, conferences, courses in education and rehabilitation of normal/handicapped children, as well as underprivileged persons.
Some of the organizations she was associated with (and was an active member) were S.E.C. (Society for the Education of the Crippled) Day School, I.A.P.E. (Indian Association for Pre-school Education), B.C.J. General Hospital (Santa Cruz), All India Balkan-ji-Bari, Bombay Vigilance Association, O.M.E.P., Soroptomist International, YWCA, Poona Women's Council and many more.
Having lived in India and the USA for many years, she was an excellent communicator (fluent in over 7 languages) and had a sense of great understanding of different cultures and always served as a role model for those who needed help in bridging the gap between East and West. She was a great cook as some of you know and it gave her great happiness to feed people. Needless to say, she was a very helpful person and if you ever needed help and turned to her, she would never refuse anyone.
She wore her heart on her sleeve and if she liked anything, she shared it with everyone and if she didn't like anything and she loved you, she felt it was better to tell you things that you need to know for your own good! But she never gave up her caring spirit till the end - which again surfaced when she was at Lourdes and she was so happy at being able to make this pilgrimage that she lit a candle for each of you that she knew and also prayed for all departed souls.
In the few days after she passed away, there were French, Italian and English masses offered in Lourdes at various churches by different international groups (including the Lourdes' hospitality organization that manages all the shrines at Lourdes). On October 17th, the Vatican has approved the canonization of Brother Andre to be a saint (he's the one who started the St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal – it’s the largest cathedral in North America). On that day in Rome, during his canonization to be a Saint, the mass will be offered in memory of our mother.
It's probably these silver linings that we can force ourselves to accept the reason of her departure from this world and we believe that she is in eternal healing of Our Lady of Lourdes. Maybe, God, destiny and Mom herself would not have had it any other way.
May her soul rest in peace and God give us all the strength to handle this irreparable loss. Incidentally, Mom made it a point that people never went hungry when they came to meet her, so today in spirit she has ensured the same. Please join us for some light refreshments after mass.
Thank you once again for all your support and God bless.
Friday, August 20, 2010
CWG 2010 - The Mess
There has been enough in the media, over the past few days, about the scams and the irregularities in the arrangements and preparations for the Games.
Relax. I am not going to enumerate any of those here, again. These are already being repeated, ad nauseam, in endless loops on select TV channels.
The point I would like to make is that this is not the first time that we have organised a major event. While I can understand that, as individuals, we are not consistent in learning from past experiences; it is shameful that as a NATION, we lack those skills!
The most important aspect of this situation is to DOCUMENT and LEARN from this entire experience.
These learnings must be made SHARED with the public, not from a perspective of sensationalising the scam, but from a perspective of ensuring that we have documented each mistake made, just so that we do not make it again.
Also, in order to ensure that we do not end up in such a situation again (or at least minimise such instances), we MUST PUNISH those who have found to have WILLFULLY committed such excesses.
Sending a strong message to all those who try to repeat this - that something like this will NOT be tolerated and will be dealt with severely.
Well, and that's how I feel....
Relax. I am not going to enumerate any of those here, again. These are already being repeated, ad nauseam, in endless loops on select TV channels.
The point I would like to make is that this is not the first time that we have organised a major event. While I can understand that, as individuals, we are not consistent in learning from past experiences; it is shameful that as a NATION, we lack those skills!
The most important aspect of this situation is to DOCUMENT and LEARN from this entire experience.
These learnings must be made SHARED with the public, not from a perspective of sensationalising the scam, but from a perspective of ensuring that we have documented each mistake made, just so that we do not make it again.
Also, in order to ensure that we do not end up in such a situation again (or at least minimise such instances), we MUST PUNISH those who have found to have WILLFULLY committed such excesses.
Sending a strong message to all those who try to repeat this - that something like this will NOT be tolerated and will be dealt with severely.
Well, and that's how I feel....
Monday, August 02, 2010
Simple Solutions for Kashmir
While everyone has a variety of reasons for the situation in Kashmir - and will swear by those. There are very few offering practical solutions.
I'm sure they DO know what are the possible options, but the prospect of implementing them seems daunting.
Well, like most others, I also have a 'solution' to easing the situation in the beautiful valley (I haven't been there yet!)
1. Get all the Politicians out of there - actually this is true for most 'troubled' areas :)
2. Get the Special Forces only to protect/guard the Border (ok, L.O.C.)
3. Equip the local Police with state-of-the-art Technology & Tools to protect the common people.
4. Promote industry - with a vengeance.
5. Set up Educational institutions - Primary to University.
Do this for 5 years and I can guarantee you this situation will 'dissolve'.
Feedback?
I'm sure they DO know what are the possible options, but the prospect of implementing them seems daunting.
Well, like most others, I also have a 'solution' to easing the situation in the beautiful valley (I haven't been there yet!)
1. Get all the Politicians out of there - actually this is true for most 'troubled' areas :)
2. Get the Special Forces only to protect/guard the Border (ok, L.O.C.)
3. Equip the local Police with state-of-the-art Technology & Tools to protect the common people.
4. Promote industry - with a vengeance.
5. Set up Educational institutions - Primary to University.
Do this for 5 years and I can guarantee you this situation will 'dissolve'.
Feedback?
Sunday, August 01, 2010
Non-English Number plates - allowed?
I'm sure the RTO act does not permit License Number plates in any other language, other than in English. I recall reading a newspaper article where an RTO official had mentioned that they 'could not find' any such violation.
Well, here's one!
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
From heat wave to flash floods
We seem to be having extreme weather across the country. First there was an extreme bout of heat wave - with temperatures reaching 51 degrees C! And here we are, less than 2 weeks later and we have news of the same cities & their neighbourhood area being submerged by flood waters! The worst part of the situation is that the people have NO CLUE of what the weather is going to be like! We're still a country that's so dependent on the monsoon and yet we cannot get our weather forecast right!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
India's T20 World Cup Team
India's Twenty20 world Cup probables list has been announced. Check this list:
I don't want to take away any credit from those selected, even though some of them are 'injured' and their inclusion is really questionable. Not that I'm bigoted or racist, but I recall there used to be a time when players from West Zone and South Zone were almost dominating the India cricket scene.
If the logic for selection is recent performance, it can be inferred that teams from the North should have won all the Domestic cricket events - but is that so?
Check the winners of the past 12 months...
West Zone beat East Zone in Deodhar Trophy
TN beat Bengal in Ranji Trophy Final
Rest of India beat Mumbai in Irani Cup
But I guess these Selector chaps know more about cricket than I do - so I should just shut up and do my own thing, eh?
- MS Dhoni - Jharkhand
- Virender Sehwag - Delhi
- Gautam Gambhir - Delhi
- Suresh Raina - UP (?)
- Praveen Kumar - UP
- Ashish Nehra - UP
- Piyush Chawla - UP
- Harbhajan Singh - Punjab
- Yuvraj Singh - Chandigarh
- Yusf Pathan -Gujarat
- Ravindra Jadeja - Gujarat
- Zaheer Khan - Maharashtra
- Rohit Sharma - Maharashtra
- R Vinay Kumar - Karnataka
- Dinesh Karthik - Tamil Nadu
I don't want to take away any credit from those selected, even though some of them are 'injured' and their inclusion is really questionable. Not that I'm bigoted or racist, but I recall there used to be a time when players from West Zone and South Zone were almost dominating the India cricket scene.
If the logic for selection is recent performance, it can be inferred that teams from the North should have won all the Domestic cricket events - but is that so?
Check the winners of the past 12 months...
West Zone beat East Zone in Deodhar Trophy
TN beat Bengal in Ranji Trophy Final
Rest of India beat Mumbai in Irani Cup
But I guess these Selector chaps know more about cricket than I do - so I should just shut up and do my own thing, eh?
BTW, I've decided to make my posts shorter, so I can do this more often :)
Well ... and that's how I feel ...
Well ... and that's how I feel ...
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Hindi Proverbs and their English Equivalents
This effort is a result of a discussion, my family had on the breakfast table. My daughter kept swinging her leg, which kept banging into mine and then I turned around and said .. "Sau sonaar ki, ek lohaar ki."
This started off a discussion of what it meant and whether there was an equivalent of this, in English. Which led me into a hunt for more English equivalents of Hindi Proverbs. I've taken the liberty of spelling out all Hindi words in English. I hope you get it right the first time .. or at least, the second!
Disclaimer: I'm no expert on either Hindi or English, so if you notice errors, please go right ahead and point them out!
I searched the Internet to find lists of Hindi proverbs and English proverbs and then sat down and tried to correlate them. The following list is what I came up with. As I said, I'm no expert - but I'm happy with the effort. Hope you enjoy reading this.
Feedback? ...Bouquets? Brickbats? Well, bring 'em on :)
This started off a discussion of what it meant and whether there was an equivalent of this, in English. Which led me into a hunt for more English equivalents of Hindi Proverbs. I've taken the liberty of spelling out all Hindi words in English. I hope you get it right the first time .. or at least, the second!
Disclaimer: I'm no expert on either Hindi or English, so if you notice errors, please go right ahead and point them out!
I searched the Internet to find lists of Hindi proverbs and English proverbs and then sat down and tried to correlate them. The following list is what I came up with. As I said, I'm no expert - but I'm happy with the effort. Hope you enjoy reading this.
- Khatte angoor - Sour grapes (also, literally)
- Bandar kya jaane adrak ka swad - Casting pearls before swine
- Dal mein kaala - More to it than meets the eye
- Naach na jaane, aagan tedha – A poor worker blames his tools
- Jale par namak chidakna - Rubbing salt on one’s wound (almost, literal)
- Door ke dhol suhavane lagte hain – The grass seems greener on the other side
- Aage kuan peeche khaee – Between the devil and the deep sea
- Garajne wale badal baraste nahin hain – Barking dogs seldom bite
- Jitnee lambi chadar ho utna hee pair failana chahiye – Cut your dress according to your cloth
- Ab pachatae kya jab chidiya chug gayi khet – No use crying over spilt milk
- Anth bhala to sab bhala – All’s well that ends well (almost, literal)
- Taali ek haath se nahin bajti – It takes two to quarrel
- Jahan chaah wahaan raha – Where there’s a will, there’s a way (almost, literal)
- Doodh ka jala chaas bhi phook-phook kar peeta hai – Once bitten twice shy
- Jaisa desh, vaisa bhes – In Rome do as the Romans do
- Ek myaan mein do talawaren nahi samaati – No man can serve two masters
- Khotta chana baje ghana - Empty vessels make more noise
Feedback? ...Bouquets? Brickbats? Well, bring 'em on :)
Sunday, February 28, 2010
A Few Good Men (& Women)
I've always been a great fan of Music of the 1980s - let me clarify - ENGLISH music of the 80s. However, I also do like some numbers from the 70s and 60s as well.
For some (unknown, to me) reason, the music of this era is called RETRO. Retro as in Retrospective or Retrograde, is something I still haven't figured out!
I'm definitely not an expert or an authority on music of that era. Neither was I really 'into' the music scene when in school.
It's just that as I passed through those "Wonder Years" (great serial, by the way), each song got 'associated' (like a hyperlink or metatag) with some incident of my life. Most of them, I cherish, but I do also have a lot of forgettable ones, too. Nevertheless, the hyperlinks were established and the songs brought back memories - good, or otherwise, with equal propensity.
In those days, we just had Audio Tapes (I see a lot of young readers going, "Dude, you're O.L.D.") - and we used to run those select few tapes back and forth so many times, that the sequence got cast in stone too!
Till date, if I hear "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" by Michael Jackson, I expect the next song to be "Stomp" by The Brothers Johnson, followed by "And The Beat Goes On" by The Whispers!
Well, now we have CDs, DVDs, Pen Drives, iPoDs and a host of other equipment to hear songs from. All is not lost for us 'oldies' - as a lot of the old songs (Retro!) are finding their way back! I've managed to 'find' quite a few of my fav numbers on the Internet.
Life had done a full circle (or so I would like to believe). Then again, it has a way of being surprisingly and refreshingly topsy-turvy.
Just as I 'subjected' my kids to my choice of music - it's now their turn. They've grown up and have turned the tables on me. I am now exposed to a host of new music.
This post is about some of the current ones, doing the rounds - in my house at least - which I really like. My current 'playlist' (see, I'm beginning to get the lingo right too!) consists of:
However, now I have a whole new set of hyperlinks and metatags being created - with lovely memories being associated with these numbers (however, ridiculous they may sound after a few years). Whenever I'm traveling and I hear these numbers, my thoughts go back to these memories.
And so the circle of life starts all over again ... listening to these Few Good Men (& Women) ...
Well ... and that's how I feel ...
For some (unknown, to me) reason, the music of this era is called RETRO. Retro as in Retrospective or Retrograde, is something I still haven't figured out!
I'm definitely not an expert or an authority on music of that era. Neither was I really 'into' the music scene when in school.
It's just that as I passed through those "Wonder Years" (great serial, by the way), each song got 'associated' (like a hyperlink or metatag) with some incident of my life. Most of them, I cherish, but I do also have a lot of forgettable ones, too. Nevertheless, the hyperlinks were established and the songs brought back memories - good, or otherwise, with equal propensity.
In those days, we just had Audio Tapes (I see a lot of young readers going, "Dude, you're O.L.D.") - and we used to run those select few tapes back and forth so many times, that the sequence got cast in stone too!
Till date, if I hear "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" by Michael Jackson, I expect the next song to be "Stomp" by The Brothers Johnson, followed by "And The Beat Goes On" by The Whispers!
Well, now we have CDs, DVDs, Pen Drives, iPoDs and a host of other equipment to hear songs from. All is not lost for us 'oldies' - as a lot of the old songs (Retro!) are finding their way back! I've managed to 'find' quite a few of my fav numbers on the Internet.
Life had done a full circle (or so I would like to believe). Then again, it has a way of being surprisingly and refreshingly topsy-turvy.
Just as I 'subjected' my kids to my choice of music - it's now their turn. They've grown up and have turned the tables on me. I am now exposed to a host of new music.
This post is about some of the current ones, doing the rounds - in my house at least - which I really like. My current 'playlist' (see, I'm beginning to get the lingo right too!) consists of:
- Kelly Clarkson (Already Gone)
- Jay Z feat. Alicia Keys (Empire State of Mind)
- Lady Gaga (Poker Face, Just Dance, Paparazzi, Eh Eh Nothing Else I Can Do)
- David Guetta (When Love Takes Over, Delirious)
- Black Eyed Peas (Boom Boom Pow, I Gotta Feeling)
- Akon (Right Now, Beautiful)
- Ne Yo (Miss Independent)
- Lady Antebellum (Need You Now)
- Kate Perry (Hot n Cold)
- Lilly Allen (F*ck You) *gasp*
- Agnes (Release Me)
- Flo rida (Sugar)
However, now I have a whole new set of hyperlinks and metatags being created - with lovely memories being associated with these numbers (however, ridiculous they may sound after a few years). Whenever I'm traveling and I hear these numbers, my thoughts go back to these memories.
And so the circle of life starts all over again ... listening to these Few Good Men (& Women) ...
Well ... and that's how I feel ...
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Karthik Calling Karthik - My View
This is one of the few movies that I've seen so close to its release ..2nd day, 1st show! Quite surprised at my own eagerness to watch it. But that's how I am. I go by instinct, on such things.
For instance, I haven't yet seen 3 Idiots or Avatar - but didn't miss Luck By Chance & Love Aaj Kal (any coincidence they had Farhan & Deepika?)
Coming to KCK, I don't want to reveal the storyline (no spoilers, here!) - but its a nicely done movie. It has its fair share of laughs, thrills and meaningless (avoidable) moments.
My kudos to the Director, who actually got the audience to clap in the last shot - I was truly amazed!
The movie could have done away with about 10 minutes, making it crisper, but I don't know whose responsibility that is - the Editor's or the Director's.
I was really impressed with the acting.
Farhan is very, very believable in the role. His angst in certain scenes, esp when he breaks down and cries when on the phone, is truly classic.
Deepika - well, what can I say - this girl is growing on me. She caught my fancy in Love Aaj Kal and has done it again here. However, she's again cast as an independent minded woman - and is convincing. Her earnestness comes across genuinely.
I quite liked the music by Shankar Ehsan Loy. In particular, the music that plays while the opening titles appear, is particularly catchy. Incidentally, the titles are done quite innovatively, too!
Don't expect a love story (though it has its moments). Don't expect a laugh riot - its not a light movie, by any standards. Don't expect an outright thriller - even though there are more than a few times which will make you jump!
I don't think its worth a second watch, but I'd enjoy watching the DVD - and would definitely buy the Audio CD.
All in all, an enjoyable fare - as we say, 'paisa vasool'.
Twitter: sandeepohri
Email: sandeep.ohri@ymail.com
Blog: http://snohri.blogspot.com/
Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bijlee
Sent on my BlackBerry® from Vodafone
Saturday, February 06, 2010
TEST from Mobile
This is a test blogpost via Posterous :)
With warm regards,
Sandeep Twitter: sandeepohri
Email: sandeep.ohri@ymail.com
Blog: http://snohri.blogspot.com
Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bijlee Sent on my BlackBerry® from Vodafone
With warm regards,
Sandeep Twitter: sandeepohri
Email: sandeep.ohri@ymail.com
Blog: http://snohri.blogspot.com
Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bijlee Sent on my BlackBerry® from Vodafone
Sunday, November 29, 2009
BIJLEE posts will now appear only on BIJLEEPOWER
I've contemplated doing this for a long time - and its about time I find the time (and follow the discipline) of doing this.
All BIJLEE (electricity) related posts would appear on the BIJLEEPOWER blog (http://bijleepower.blogspot.com)
Wanted to keep this blog, more or less, of a personal one in nature.
All BIJLEE (electricity) related posts would appear on the BIJLEEPOWER blog (http://bijleepower.blogspot.com)
Wanted to keep this blog, more or less, of a personal one in nature.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Calculate savings of switchover to TATA
After much work, anguish and deliberations, MERC had issued an Interim Order in the matter of switchover to TATA. I am happy to inform you that we have successfully had the first case of a switchover. An existing RINFRA consumer has been duly moved to TATA - using RINFRA's network and TATA's Meter!
Now, before everyone decides to do the same, first check whether it makes economic sense to switch to TATA. To help you, I have prepared a detailed Excel sheet for Single Phase, Residential consumers (LT-I) Tariff showing the exact calculations and savings of moving from RINFRA to TATA.
Here are some of the results of the calculations in the PRESENT scenario.
For 1,500 units per month:
Existing RINFRA Bill = Rs. 13,391 Switchover TATA Bill = Rs. 9,212
Monthly Savings = Rs. 4,179 Annual Savings = Rs. 50,147
For 1,000 units per month:
Existing RINFRA Bill = Rs. 8,309 Switchover TATA Bill = Rs. 5,828
Monthly Savings = Rs. 2,482 Annual Savings = Rs. 29,780
For 800 units per month:
Existing RINFRA Bill = Rs. 6,277 Switchover TATA Bill = Rs. 4,474
Monthly Savings = Rs. 1,803 Annual Savings = Rs. 21,634
For 500 units per month:
Existing RINFRA Bill = Rs. 3,172 Switchover TATA Bill = Rs. 2,387
Monthly Savings = Rs. 784 Annual Savings = Rs. 9,413
For 350 units per month:
Existing RINFRA Bill = Rs. 1,857 Switchover TATA Bill = Rs. 1,490
Monthly Savings = Rs. 368 Annual Savings = Rs. 4,412
For 200 units per month:
Existing RINFRA Bill = Rs. 879 Switchover TATA Bill = Rs. 760
Monthly Savings = Rs. 119 Annual Savings = Rs. 1,427
For 100 units per month:
Existing RINFRA Bill = Rs. 316 Switchover TATA Bill = Rs. 307
Monthly Savings = Rs. 9 Annual Savings = Rs. 108
It seems clear from the above, that only those consumers who have a higher monthly consumption would benefit more by switching to TATA from RINFRA.
However, the decision to DO-THE-SWITCH must be an informed, long-term decision and not a short-term knee jerk reaction. The attached file covers the PRESENT scenario as well a few other known possible scenarios that may happen in the next one year. For instance:
a) Due to approvals from earlier MERC and ATE Orders, RINFRA already has an 'uncovered gap' of Rs. 1,079 crores! Suppose they get an approval to charge this in next year's Tariff - what would be the impact?
b) MERC has stayed the RINFRA June 2009 Tariff Order, but suppose the stay order is lifted?
c) RINFRA has gone to High Court and asked for a stay on the limit of Fuel Adjustment Charge (FAC) of 67 paise. They are asking for 113 paise/unit. Suppose they succeed?
d) In this Interim Order, MERC has allowed RINFRA to collect Wheeling charges, despite our protests that we have already paid for these. In case, it is ruled that we do not have to pay RINFRA Wheeling charges, then the NEW switchover bills will be even more lower.
e) If the consumer uses a TATA meter instead of a RINFRA Meter, it is possible that consumption recording itself is lower!
The attached Excel file also shows how much would be the difference in case the above scenarios start playing out.
Do feel free to circulate this to all concerned and please send me feedback - especially if there are any errors (this is so complicated, even though I've tried my best, there may still be some mistakes!)
This Excel file is also available on the BIJLEE Group in the Files section here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bijlee/files/_RINFRA_SWITCHOVER/
I will request MERC to prepare such types of Calculators and host them on their websites.
Trust this has been of help to you :)
Now, before everyone decides to do the same, first check whether it makes economic sense to switch to TATA. To help you, I have prepared a detailed Excel sheet for Single Phase, Residential consumers (LT-I) Tariff showing the exact calculations and savings of moving from RINFRA to TATA.
Here are some of the results of the calculations in the PRESENT scenario.
For 1,500 units per month:
Existing RINFRA Bill = Rs. 13,391 Switchover TATA Bill = Rs. 9,212
Monthly Savings = Rs. 4,179 Annual Savings = Rs. 50,147
For 1,000 units per month:
Existing RINFRA Bill = Rs. 8,309 Switchover TATA Bill = Rs. 5,828
Monthly Savings = Rs. 2,482 Annual Savings = Rs. 29,780
For 800 units per month:
Existing RINFRA Bill = Rs. 6,277 Switchover TATA Bill = Rs. 4,474
Monthly Savings = Rs. 1,803 Annual Savings = Rs. 21,634
For 500 units per month:
Existing RINFRA Bill = Rs. 3,172 Switchover TATA Bill = Rs. 2,387
Monthly Savings = Rs. 784 Annual Savings = Rs. 9,413
For 350 units per month:
Existing RINFRA Bill = Rs. 1,857 Switchover TATA Bill = Rs. 1,490
Monthly Savings = Rs. 368 Annual Savings = Rs. 4,412
For 200 units per month:
Existing RINFRA Bill = Rs. 879 Switchover TATA Bill = Rs. 760
Monthly Savings = Rs. 119 Annual Savings = Rs. 1,427
For 100 units per month:
Existing RINFRA Bill = Rs. 316 Switchover TATA Bill = Rs. 307
Monthly Savings = Rs. 9 Annual Savings = Rs. 108
It seems clear from the above, that only those consumers who have a higher monthly consumption would benefit more by switching to TATA from RINFRA.
However, the decision to DO-THE-SWITCH must be an informed, long-term decision and not a short-term knee jerk reaction. The attached file covers the PRESENT scenario as well a few other known possible scenarios that may happen in the next one year. For instance:
a) Due to approvals from earlier MERC and ATE Orders, RINFRA already has an 'uncovered gap' of Rs. 1,079 crores! Suppose they get an approval to charge this in next year's Tariff - what would be the impact?
b) MERC has stayed the RINFRA June 2009 Tariff Order, but suppose the stay order is lifted?
c) RINFRA has gone to High Court and asked for a stay on the limit of Fuel Adjustment Charge (FAC) of 67 paise. They are asking for 113 paise/unit. Suppose they succeed?
d) In this Interim Order, MERC has allowed RINFRA to collect Wheeling charges, despite our protests that we have already paid for these. In case, it is ruled that we do not have to pay RINFRA Wheeling charges, then the NEW switchover bills will be even more lower.
e) If the consumer uses a TATA meter instead of a RINFRA Meter, it is possible that consumption recording itself is lower!
The attached Excel file also shows how much would be the difference in case the above scenarios start playing out.
Do feel free to circulate this to all concerned and please send me feedback - especially if there are any errors (this is so complicated, even though I've tried my best, there may still be some mistakes!)
This Excel file is also available on the BIJLEE Group in the Files section here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bijlee/files/_RINFRA_SWITCHOVER/
I will request MERC to prepare such types of Calculators and host them on their websites.
Trust this has been of help to you :)
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Rediff Article
Sometimes you get lucky and people get to know about your struggle.
Rediff put this up
http://business.rediff.com/slide-show/2009/oct/09/slide-show-1-meet-the-man-who-took-on-reliance-energy.htm
Feedback is most welcome :)
More at the BIJLEE Yahoo Group Site here:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bijlee
Rediff put this up
http://business.rediff.com/slide-show/2009/oct/09/slide-show-1-meet-the-man-who-took-on-reliance-energy.htm
Feedback is most welcome :)
More at the BIJLEE Yahoo Group Site here:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bijlee
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Mumbai Power Tariff - a few facts
There seems to be a lot of (mis) information being spread - about the Mumbai Power Tariff situation, which is leading to confusion in the minds of the people.
I thought of contributing my opinion to the on-goings. Please spare a few moments and go through this post.
1. State Govt can bring down tariff.
Well, not really .. NO. The power to determine tariff rates are SOLELY with MERC, as per the Electricity Act, 2003. NO STATE GOVT can set the rate. At best the State Govt can grant a SUBSIDY (meaning the rate to the consumer will be low, but the Govt will pay the supplier directly).
In such circumstances, the Govt ends up incurring a loss (and Maharashtra is already in a loss) and will eventually RAISE TAXES in some other form to compensate for this loss. So we consumers WILL end up paying for this anyway, in case the State Govt gives any supplier any kind of subsidy!
2. Uniform Tariff in Mumbai
Uniform Tariff is NOT permitted by the EA 2003!! IN fact the whole concept of 'competition' will become defunct is the tariff is the same for all suppliers. Like in PETROL.
Also, (again) the Govt will have to end up paying the supplier to HOLD prices at a particular (LOW) level. This is what the Delhi Govt had been doing for the past three years - and now that subsidy has also been withdrawn recently.
3. Lower rates are benefiting builders/malls.
Builders/Malls had a much higher rate - which is partly on account of something called "cross-subsidy". This means that if the avge cost of power is Rs. 4 (say), then some users are charged Rs. 2-3, and the others are charged Rs. 5-7 (to make up for the 'discount' to the lower users).
The EA 2003 and the National Tariff Policy have mandated that the level of cross-subsidy is too high and MUST be brought down. Hence the unusually high rates MUST come down and (consequently), the lower rates WILL go up.
There's NOTHING that the Mah State Govt can do in this - neither can the MERC be held responsible - they are just following the law.
4. Tata Power is 'responsible' for the power shortage (!)
At the risk of sounding like a Tata spokesperson ....Did you know that Tata Power kept supplying power to REL/RINFRA even though it was NOT paid for THREE years? Well, you try and NOT pay RINFRA for three months and what happens??
Tata Power set up an additional capacity of 250MW in the last 10 years - while BSES/REL/RINFRA did not set up a single MW. Tata Power was formally given permission by MERC to shut down its plant as there was no need for additional power (as claimed by BSES/REL) - immediately thereafter BSES/REL started making claims for higher charge (reliability charges, etc) to 'ensure' continued power to Mumbai.
RINFRA did not sign any deal with Tata - and now, from 31.3.2010, its also going to lose the 500MW that Tata was giving it.
5. Tata is selling Power outside Mumbai for a profit.
Yeah, sure, Tata is getting money for the power it supplies to MSEDCL. There is nothing in the EA 2003 that can force a Generating company to supply power to any particular area/distributor.
Even RINFRA is selling power generated by its own companies, outside the State - RINFRA's Samalkot plant generates 220MW, Goa does 48MW and Kochi has 165MW - but does ANY of this come to Mumbai?? WHY??
RINFRA has been desperately trying to get the environmental clearance waived for its Dahanu expansion plan (1200MW) citing Mumbai shortage as the reason. The Supreme Court has stayed this - as it does not want any more pollution near Mumbai. Rightly so!
FINALLY ...
I'm not in favour of Tata - neither am I against RINFRA - I'm in favour of the CONSUMER, his/her rights, and the deal he/she is getting from the suppliers.
If anyone feels differently - they are most welcome - but for now, the law is WITH us consumers - we have a choice and we should be given the right to switch suppliers and put our own meters, so till the law changes ... well, this is it!
You decide...
For more info, join the BIJLEE group on Yahoo by sending an email to bijlee-subscribe@yahoogroups.com - or just visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bijlee/ and read the messages.
Thanks, for your time - I value it :)
I thought of contributing my opinion to the on-goings. Please spare a few moments and go through this post.
1. State Govt can bring down tariff.
Well, not really .. NO. The power to determine tariff rates are SOLELY with MERC, as per the Electricity Act, 2003. NO STATE GOVT can set the rate. At best the State Govt can grant a SUBSIDY (meaning the rate to the consumer will be low, but the Govt will pay the supplier directly).
In such circumstances, the Govt ends up incurring a loss (and Maharashtra is already in a loss) and will eventually RAISE TAXES in some other form to compensate for this loss. So we consumers WILL end up paying for this anyway, in case the State Govt gives any supplier any kind of subsidy!
2. Uniform Tariff in Mumbai
Uniform Tariff is NOT permitted by the EA 2003!! IN fact the whole concept of 'competition' will become defunct is the tariff is the same for all suppliers. Like in PETROL.
Also, (again) the Govt will have to end up paying the supplier to HOLD prices at a particular (LOW) level. This is what the Delhi Govt had been doing for the past three years - and now that subsidy has also been withdrawn recently.
3. Lower rates are benefiting builders/malls.
Builders/Malls had a much higher rate - which is partly on account of something called "cross-subsidy". This means that if the avge cost of power is Rs. 4 (say), then some users are charged Rs. 2-3, and the others are charged Rs. 5-7 (to make up for the 'discount' to the lower users).
The EA 2003 and the National Tariff Policy have mandated that the level of cross-subsidy is too high and MUST be brought down. Hence the unusually high rates MUST come down and (consequently), the lower rates WILL go up.
There's NOTHING that the Mah State Govt can do in this - neither can the MERC be held responsible - they are just following the law.
4. Tata Power is 'responsible' for the power shortage (!)
At the risk of sounding like a Tata spokesperson ....Did you know that Tata Power kept supplying power to REL/RINFRA even though it was NOT paid for THREE years? Well, you try and NOT pay RINFRA for three months and what happens??
Tata Power set up an additional capacity of 250MW in the last 10 years - while BSES/REL/RINFRA did not set up a single MW. Tata Power was formally given permission by MERC to shut down its plant as there was no need for additional power (as claimed by BSES/REL) - immediately thereafter BSES/REL started making claims for higher charge (reliability charges, etc) to 'ensure' continued power to Mumbai.
RINFRA did not sign any deal with Tata - and now, from 31.3.2010, its also going to lose the 500MW that Tata was giving it.
5. Tata is selling Power outside Mumbai for a profit.
Yeah, sure, Tata is getting money for the power it supplies to MSEDCL. There is nothing in the EA 2003 that can force a Generating company to supply power to any particular area/distributor.
Even RINFRA is selling power generated by its own companies, outside the State - RINFRA's Samalkot plant generates 220MW, Goa does 48MW and Kochi has 165MW - but does ANY of this come to Mumbai?? WHY??
RINFRA has been desperately trying to get the environmental clearance waived for its Dahanu expansion plan (1200MW) citing Mumbai shortage as the reason. The Supreme Court has stayed this - as it does not want any more pollution near Mumbai. Rightly so!
FINALLY ...
I'm not in favour of Tata - neither am I against RINFRA - I'm in favour of the CONSUMER, his/her rights, and the deal he/she is getting from the suppliers.
If anyone feels differently - they are most welcome - but for now, the law is WITH us consumers - we have a choice and we should be given the right to switch suppliers and put our own meters, so till the law changes ... well, this is it!
You decide...
For more info, join the BIJLEE group on Yahoo by sending an email to bijlee-subscribe@yahoogroups.com - or just visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bijlee/ and read the messages.
Thanks, for your time - I value it :)
Saturday, August 15, 2009
MERC appointed me as an Authorised Consumer Rep!!
Guess what?? MERC (on their own) actually appointed me as an Authorised Consumer Representative, under section 94(3) of the Electricity Act 2003 - in a case filed by RINFRA.
I guess with a new Chairman at MERC, the consumers are finally beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel!
Already, we have a choice in Mumbai now... we can chose to move to Tata Power, from RINFRA, BEST or MSEDCL.
Soon this will pave the way for competition in the electricity sector, across India - and the consumer will be able to move freely between electricity providers - very much like telecom providers!
Happy Independence Day :)
Sunday, July 12, 2009
MERC has been LYING to the public for SIX years!!
What expectations can you have from an organization that has been LYING to the Public for the last 6 years.
As per the Electricity Act 2003, the Regulatory Commissions (MERC, here in Mah.) are supposed to appoint 'Consumer Representatives' so that these persons (or organisations) can 'represent' consumer interest, in various matters - especially in determining tariff.
Section 94(3) states, "(3) The Appropriate Commission may authorise any person, as it deems fit, to represent the interest of the consumers in the proceedings before it."
MERC has always led us (the public) to believe that the following four agencies have been "authorised by the Commission" under 94(3):
1. Mumbai Grahak Panchayat, Mumbai
2. Prayas Energy Group, Pune
3. Thane Belapur Industries Association, Navi Mumbai
4. Vidharba Industries Association, Nagpur
See MERC's RINFRA Tariff Order issued on 15-Jun-2009, where MERC is stating that hearings were conducted in the presence of 'consumer representatives' authorised under 94(3).
MERC has been allowing ONLY these four to attend and hear the initial, critical technical validation sessions for Tariff fixation - and in fact, for some of the hearings it only allows these four to attend - and does not allow the Public to participate.
On 19-Dec-2003, MERC issued an Order stating that they had appointed these four as Consumer Representatives. There was NO selection, NO invitations from the public, NO systematic methodology for such appointment, NO fixed term, NO responsibilities defined - NOTHING.
MERC just 'hand-picked' these guys ... (I wonder why?) ... and then gave them an 'open-ended' appointment!! There is NO TERMINATION date for these appointments.
I wanted to know more details and so I filed an RTI on 01-Jun-2009 (otherwise they are inclined not to respond) and to my surprise, they replied on 02-Jul-2009 that there has been NO appointment by them under Section 94(3) or under their own Regulation 18 !!
So why has MERC been 'misleading' us to believe that our (consumer) interest is being 'protected' by these 'representatives'!!
These guys could very well be the STOOGES of the electricity companies - and therefore are not really bothered about general consumer interest. No wonder tariff has been continuously rising since 2003 ...
I demand that ALL Tariff Orders issued by MERC, since 2003 be revoked, since due process of law has not been followed. Tariff to be rolled back to the pre-2003 levels.
Most of this happened during the tenure of the earlier Chairman, Dr. Pramod Deo - who is now the Chairman of CERC. The present Chairman, V.P.Raja is, unfortunately, facing all the flak...
Also, see the manner in which MERC has responded to my queries, I know for a fact that certain agencies HAVE applied - and MERC has been silent on this.
How long will you remain silent and continue to let such unscrupulous agencies get away with such blatant lies?
Send an email to MERC and let them know how you feel. Their email ID is mercindia@mercindia.org.in
Tell the present Chairman to reopen ALL the Tariff Orders passed by his predecessor.
THAT's the ONLY way you will get some respite from rising tariff - who knows - you may also get a REFUND!!
As per the Electricity Act 2003, the Regulatory Commissions (MERC, here in Mah.) are supposed to appoint 'Consumer Representatives' so that these persons (or organisations) can 'represent' consumer interest, in various matters - especially in determining tariff.
Section 94(3) states, "(3) The Appropriate Commission may authorise any person, as it deems fit, to represent the interest of the consumers in the proceedings before it."
MERC has always led us (the public) to believe that the following four agencies have been "authorised by the Commission" under 94(3):
1. Mumbai Grahak Panchayat, Mumbai
2. Prayas Energy Group, Pune
3. Thane Belapur Industries Association, Navi Mumbai
4. Vidharba Industries Association, Nagpur
See MERC's RINFRA Tariff Order issued on 15-Jun-2009, where MERC is stating that hearings were conducted in the presence of 'consumer representatives' authorised under 94(3).
MERC has been allowing ONLY these four to attend and hear the initial, critical technical validation sessions for Tariff fixation - and in fact, for some of the hearings it only allows these four to attend - and does not allow the Public to participate.
On 19-Dec-2003, MERC issued an Order stating that they had appointed these four as Consumer Representatives. There was NO selection, NO invitations from the public, NO systematic methodology for such appointment, NO fixed term, NO responsibilities defined - NOTHING.
MERC just 'hand-picked' these guys ... (I wonder why?) ... and then gave them an 'open-ended' appointment!! There is NO TERMINATION date for these appointments.
I wanted to know more details and so I filed an RTI on 01-Jun-2009 (otherwise they are inclined not to respond) and to my surprise, they replied on 02-Jul-2009 that there has been NO appointment by them under Section 94(3) or under their own Regulation 18 !!
So why has MERC been 'misleading' us to believe that our (consumer) interest is being 'protected' by these 'representatives'!!
These guys could very well be the STOOGES of the electricity companies - and therefore are not really bothered about general consumer interest. No wonder tariff has been continuously rising since 2003 ...
I demand that ALL Tariff Orders issued by MERC, since 2003 be revoked, since due process of law has not been followed. Tariff to be rolled back to the pre-2003 levels.
Most of this happened during the tenure of the earlier Chairman, Dr. Pramod Deo - who is now the Chairman of CERC. The present Chairman, V.P.Raja is, unfortunately, facing all the flak...
Also, see the manner in which MERC has responded to my queries, I know for a fact that certain agencies HAVE applied - and MERC has been silent on this.
How long will you remain silent and continue to let such unscrupulous agencies get away with such blatant lies?
Send an email to MERC and let them know how you feel. Their email ID is mercindia@mercindia.org.in
Tell the present Chairman to reopen ALL the Tariff Orders passed by his predecessor.
THAT's the ONLY way you will get some respite from rising tariff - who knows - you may also get a REFUND!!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
DO-THE-SWITCH
Fed up with Reliance's BIJLEE Tariff?? Just "DO-THE-SWITCH" from Reliance Infra (or REL, whatever!) to Tata Power.
The Supreme Court has ruled that Tata CAN supply electricity to anyone in Mumbai, even a single individual!
When you switch between mobile (or land line) phone service providers e.g. from MTNL to Airtel or Vodafone - you don't care how many cables they have laid or how many towers they have - so why should you care whether Tata has the necessary infrastructure in your area.
It is your RIGHT ... and their DUTY.
You may want to inform your contacts about this as well - go ahead and forward this info to whoever would like to DO-THE-SWITCH.
Tata's standard application form is available on their website, or you can apply ONLINE here:
http://cp.tatapower.com/cip/cpnew/customer-support/new-connection.php
OR
call 1800-22-7575 (TOLL FREE) or 6668 8354/55/59/60
At the new Tariff rates today, for 100 units:
A Tata Consumer will pay Rs. 205
A BEST Consumer will pay Rs. 261
A RInfra Consumer will pay Rs. 391
...and for 300 units:
A Tata Consumer will pay Rs. 885
A BEST Consumer will pay Rs. 1,165
A RInfra Consumer will pay Rs. 1,712
RInfra's rate is approx 90% higher than Tata and approx 50% higher than BEST!
Also, see how much your RInfra bill has gone up over the years.
For 100 units, in R-Infra area:
In Sep 2006, you paid Rs. 205
In Jun 2008, you paid Rs. 290
Now we will pay, Rs. 391
UP 90% in 3 years and 35% in 1 year!!
You can decide for yourself, if you want to continue paying such rates to Reliance - or DO-THE-SWITCH to Tata.
Let's be practical here - taking out morchas to Reliance's office will NOT help. They will simply pass the onus on to MERC, who is responsible for approving these rates. We must hold MERC accountable, R-Infra is after all a private company out to make profits, so why should they not take advantage of the system.
"Awareness precedes choice", and when you are at the Choice Point you WILL make a choice - even between action and inaction.
Inform as many people in Mumbai, so that everyone knows that they can also .....DO-THE-SWITCH!
If you are having trouble, just send me an email. We will help you. Many Citizen's groups and NGOs are helping consumers to DO-THE-SWITCH.
With warm regards,
Sandeep
sandeep.ohri@ymail.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bijlee
The Supreme Court has ruled that Tata CAN supply electricity to anyone in Mumbai, even a single individual!
When you switch between mobile (or land line) phone service providers e.g. from MTNL to Airtel or Vodafone - you don't care how many cables they have laid or how many towers they have - so why should you care whether Tata has the necessary infrastructure in your area.
It is your RIGHT ... and their DUTY.
You may want to inform your contacts about this as well - go ahead and forward this info to whoever would like to DO-THE-SWITCH.
Tata's standard application form is available on their website, or you can apply ONLINE here:
http://cp.tatapower.com/cip/cpnew/customer-support/new-connection.php
OR
call 1800-22-7575 (TOLL FREE) or 6668 8354/55/59/60
At the new Tariff rates today, for 100 units:
A Tata Consumer will pay Rs. 205
A BEST Consumer will pay Rs. 261
A RInfra Consumer will pay Rs. 391
...and for 300 units:
A Tata Consumer will pay Rs. 885
A BEST Consumer will pay Rs. 1,165
A RInfra Consumer will pay Rs. 1,712
RInfra's rate is approx 90% higher than Tata and approx 50% higher than BEST!
Also, see how much your RInfra bill has gone up over the years.
For 100 units, in R-Infra area:
In Sep 2006, you paid Rs. 205
In Jun 2008, you paid Rs. 290
Now we will pay, Rs. 391
UP 90% in 3 years and 35% in 1 year!!
You can decide for yourself, if you want to continue paying such rates to Reliance - or DO-THE-SWITCH to Tata.
Let's be practical here - taking out morchas to Reliance's office will NOT help. They will simply pass the onus on to MERC, who is responsible for approving these rates. We must hold MERC accountable, R-Infra is after all a private company out to make profits, so why should they not take advantage of the system.
"Awareness precedes choice", and when you are at the Choice Point you WILL make a choice - even between action and inaction.
Inform as many people in Mumbai, so that everyone knows that they can also .....DO-THE-SWITCH!
If you are having trouble, just send me an email. We will help you. Many Citizen's groups and NGOs are helping consumers to DO-THE-SWITCH.
With warm regards,
Sandeep
sandeep.ohri@ymail.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bijlee
Monday, May 04, 2009
My presentation at MERC's hearing
Check this out...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9E-KdDQ7l0
Its the presentation I made at MERC's Public hearing on Rel Infra's Tariff petition.
Got a copy thru RTI.
Hope this encourages more people to make presentations.
More at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bijlee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9E-KdDQ7l0
Its the presentation I made at MERC's Public hearing on Rel Infra's Tariff petition.
Got a copy thru RTI.
Hope this encourages more people to make presentations.
More at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bijlee
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