Ghaziabad May 28 (IANS) Residents of Rahispur village in Ghaziabad on Monday accused UPPCL officials of harassing their womenfolk on the pretext of power thefts and other irregularities when the men were out at work.
Hundreds of villagers took out a protest march and staged a dharna at Chief Engineer A.K. Chaudhary s office in RDC Raj Nagar. They were led by local councillor Manoj Chaudhary Zaker Saifi and others.
In a memorandum submitted to the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited Chief Engineer residents of the village falling under Sector 23 of Sanjay Nagar residential locality claimed that UPPCL supervisory staff barge into their houses on the pretext of random checking against irregularities/power thefts and visit all rooms in the absence of male members of the families.
They said that officials undertake the checks around 11 a.m. when the women are alone and engaged in cleaning and washing. The officials then fill up forms and inform the women that they have come across power thefts in their electricity connections. This had become almost a routine.
They questioned how the officials could enter the houses without permission when electricity meters were fixed outside the homes.
"They have submitted a general complaint whereas I have asked them to give me specific instances of wrongdoing so that I can question the staff. As for indiscriminate penal action I have asked supervisory staff to exclude families that rear one or two buffaloes. However if over a dozen buffaloes are kept it means it is a business venture and hence a commercial electricity connection has to be obtained. Or else the person concerned has to pay penalty " Chaudhary said.
He asserted that in no case would disrespect to any woman be allowed.

--IANS sps/tsb/bg