"Bijli Bill Maafi Abhiyan: Pandayan Saheb’s Protest Against High Electricity Bills for BPL Families"

In the congested lanes of Mumbai’s bastis, the quiet villages of Vidarbha, and the tin-roofed homes of daily wage workers — one issue burns brighter than the lightbulbs themselves: skyrocketing electricity bills. For families earning less than ₹10,000 a month, a ₹1,500 or ₹2,000 bill is not just unaffordable — it’s unjust.

While politicians talk about development, millions of poor homes still live in darkness, not by choice, but by helplessness.

And that is where R. R. Pandayan Saheb raised his voice.

He started the Bijli Bill Maafi Abhiyan — a powerful movement to demand full or partial waiver of electricity bills for BPL families, slum dwellers, widows, and senior citizens.

🔥 A Protest Born from Ground Reality

R. R. Pandayan Saheb didn’t launch this campaign from a conference room. He launched it after visiting homes where mothers cooked in the dark, elders fanned themselves in 45°C heat, and children studied under candles.

When the lockdown hit and jobs were lost, thousands of poor families could not pay their electricity bills. Instead of support, they received disconnection notices.

“The government tells us to study online, cook clean, and live healthy — but how do you do that when your electricity is cut?”

— R. R. Pandayan Saheb

 

That’s when Saheb declared:

“Electricity is a right — not a privilege. If the poor can vote, they deserve power.”

🪧 What the Bijli Bill Maafi Abhiyan Demands

Through peaceful protests, rallies, and written demands, Pandayan Saheb and his team are pressuring the government to:

  1. Waive all electricity dues for BPL card holders for up to 200 units.
  2. Immediately reconnect electricity lines that were disconnected during the pandemic or due to non-payment.
  3. Provide a monthly subsidy of ₹300–₹500 on bills for slum households.
  4. Create a fixed monthly charge of ₹100 for families earning less than ₹12,000/month.
  5. Start on-the-spot verification camps so that no poor family is wrongly billed under commercial or high-usage categories.
  6.  

✊ Ground-Level Action by Pandayan Saheb

This isn’t just a political issue for Saheb — it’s a personal mission.

🔹 He personally visited MSEDCL (electricity board) offices with citizens to fight disconnection cases.

🔹 Organized candlelight marches in bastis to symbolically show the government how the poor live without electricity.

🔹 Filed RTIs and complaints where illegal billing or wrong meters were installed.

🔹 Arranged legal support and petitioned the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission with detailed reports.

🔹 Mobilized volunteers to help families fill subsidy application forms online and offline.

“Electricity companies show no mercy. Why should we show silence?”

— R. R. Pandayan Saheb

💡 Real Families, Real Impact

In Dharavi, Shabana Bi, a widow, received a ₹3,700 bill for her one-room house. She hadn’t used an AC or fridge — only a fan and one bulb.

R. R. Pandayan Saheb took up her case, submitted her complaint directly to the assistant engineer, and had the charges reduced to ₹250 after field inspection.

 

In Aurangabad, a family with two disabled children was living without power for 11 days due to unpaid bills. Saheb’s team provided temporary relief with a generator and got the connection restored within 48 hours.

📢 A Larger Movement Across Maharashtra

The Bijli Bill Maafi Abhiyan is gaining strength. Under Saheb’s leadership:

✅ Over 35,000 signatures have been collected and submitted to the Energy Minister.

✅ Over 400 bastis and mohallas have been surveyed to track illegal billing.

✅ Social media campaigns are running with the hashtag #LightForAll.

✅ Saheb is planning a statewide “Haq Ki Mashaal Yatra” — a torch march through slums demanding action.

🗣️ Bold Message to the Government

At a press conference, Pandayan Saheb made it clear:

“You cannot run your ACs in Mantralaya while the poor sit in the dark. If you don’t fix this, we’ll sit outside your office — with candles, with children, and with the truth.”

✅ Conclusion: Light Is Hope, and Hope Belongs to Everyone

Electricity is not just about bulbs and fans. It’s about children studying, sick elders breathing through machines, women cooking with safety, and families living with dignity.

R. R. Pandayan Saheb’s Bijli Bill Maafi Abhiyan is a fight for that dignity. For every poor household whose only fault was being born without privilege.

He reminds us again and again:

“The rich can survive without subsidies — the poor cannot survive without justice.”

And until justice comes, Pandayan Saheb will lead the charge — one basti, one family, one bulb at a time.