Part 2b: An Hour in the Electricity Office

Again the people in the queue moved ahead. Now I was less far from the counter. An old man came to the person behind me and he started taking to him. He told him that we can pay the bill in the banks also. I asked him at once “In which banks we can pay the bill.” “I don’t know. It was published in the newspaper a few days ago.” He replied. I was quite now. Whenever the man behind me saw any lady going toward the counter he got agitated. “Because of these ladies we have to stay longer in the queue. The administration should do something to improve this situation.” He said.

It was a hot day. People standing in the queue were agitated and shouted again and again to take the electricity bill quickly, again and again but the person who was taking the bill had no effect. He continued in his way. Some people told that the electricity board should recruit young and energetic people. Old people are not of much use. They lack the skill and they think work as the burden. Old people should retire and do social work.

People proposed that everybody should bring ladies if they want their bill to be collected quickly. People should also rent ladies to pay the electricity bill. Some people agreed with this view.

Now I was third from the cash counter excluding the two ladies. I was praying that ladies should pay their bill before my turn. Both the ladies paid their bill. I was happy but the happiness faded after a while. A lady has arrived. Now it was one male and one female.

The man ahead of me gave the bills to the accountant who was collecting the money. The accountant first used to tick the amount on the bills the customer has to pay. After that he typed the amounts on the calculator to get the total. After the total he used to count the money. If more money was given he used to return the change. It was this process which consumed a lot of time.

Now the turn was of this lady. She gave the bills to the accountant. When he was ticking the amount, typing the amount on the calculator and counting the money people started shouting at the accountant. They were telling him to do his job quickly but he has no effect.

I don’t know what happened to me. I replied that there are seven bills and for getting the total he is using a calculator. It is going to take time. If you were in his place you would have done this same thing. The people got angry with me. They started shouting at me. They told me that another accountant who used to sit before was fast and I was not a regular person coming here. I agreed with them and didn’t say a single word.

Now it was my turn. I gave my bill and the money to the accountant. I had the exact change. The whole process of ticking the paid amount on the bill and counting the money took just a single minute. When he finished I was still standing on the counter. I forgot that I had to get the receipt at the other counter.

I went to the other counter and took my receipt and went home.