‘Probe Chhota Pakistan error in bills’

The State Minorities Commission has asked the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) to probe the "serious lapse" of terming Santosh Bhuvan area in Nalasopara in Thane as ‘Chhota Pakistan’ on its bills.

The State Minorities Commission has asked the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) to probe the "serious lapse" of terming Santosh Bhuvan area in Nalasopara in Thane as ‘Chhota Pakistan’ on its bills.

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“This is a serious matter. Please inquire into it and inform the Commission about your findings": stated the minority commission chairman Munaf Hakim in a letter to the MSEB chief. "Let us know at what level did the directive to term the area as 'Chhota Pakistan' emanated."

Hakim's letter came after the term, which is used to describe predominantly Muslim slums across the country colloquially, found its way into official documents. In a shocking case of administrative apathy, residents of the area have been receiving electricity bills that list their home addresses as 'Chhota Pakistan.'

The state-run Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDC) has been sending these bills to Santosh Bhuvan residents for the past 14 months at least.

Officials of the Maharashtra State Electricity Board, the umbrella body, have said they were unaware of how the lapse occurred and that the error was only spotted during a drive to collect applications for Aadhar cards.

Electricity bills as accepted as proof of residence for all official applications (phone connections, passports etc) and residents from Santosh Bhuvan had attached these with their Aadhar forms.