In 1909, one Okhil Chandra Sen had written the following letter-- now on display at the Rail Museum--- to the Sahibganj divisional railway office .
" I am arrive by passenger train Ahmedpur station and my belly is too much swelling with jackfruit. I am therefore went to privy. Just I doing the nuisance that guard making whistle blow for train to go off and I am running with 'lotah' in one hand and 'dhoti' in the next when I am fall over and expose all my shocking to man and female women on plateform. I am got leaved at Ahmedpur station.
"This too much bad, if passenger go to make dung that dam guard not wait train five minutes for him. I am therefore pray your honour to make big fine on that guard for public sake. Otherwise I am making big report! to papers."
This letter supposedly led to the introduction of toilets on trains.
On the 12th April, 2012 I had written the following open letter in Facebook to the Municipal Commissioner, Bhubaneswar.
Dear Municipal Commissioner
I realise you would be awfully busy now on matters relating to Election. Please go through this update at your convenience; but soon after you are free from Election work.
Yesterday around noon-- and it was pretty warm-- I went to the Municipal Corporation office and stopped at the Felicitation Centre, close to the Axis Bank ATM. I felt encouraged to see the display board that spoke about Municipal dues being collected at the counter there. Luckily the counter was manned, though the young man on duty appeared drowsy and betrayed hardness in hearing. On my repeated requests, he indicated that I would have to go up behind to pay my Holding Tax. Without being wiser, I entered your office compound and someone suggested that I went to the Tax Office. I negotiated the stairs taking care to avoid a healthy stray dog at the entrance and went to a spacious hall with tables, chairs, fans, almirahs but only two tax collectors. I expected that the Municipal Authority would have a water cooler so that septuagenarians anxious to pay Tax to the Municipality even at noon, can have the satisfaction of a refreshing glass of cool water.
I saw a distraught elderly client equally anxious to pay Tax. One of the two staff enquired about the location of his Holding. He was advised to go to Damana Chhak ( a distance of about ten kilometers) and pay the tax there. He said he had come from Cuttack and should be allowed to pay his tax there itself. He made it clear that he was unable to go to the distant Damana Chhak in the scorching heat. The tax collector advised him to meet someone upstairs.
Luckily, one of the two collectors was looking after my area and he accepted my Tax. In the absence of the concerned Tax collector, I could not pay the Tax of the Holding of my brother who lives in Delhi and had asked me to deposit the tax for him.
Why should all the Tax Collectors not be present in the office during fixed hours? Those hours should be displayed at the entrance of the office itself. Why should not be the tax collection decentralised and counters opened in different Bank Branches? Why should it not be made on line? Why should one have to carry his last receipt to prove his last payment? Why should your Ledgers not be kept up to date? Will the system be kindly at least to those who are willing Tax Payers? Please ensure this as it is no Rocket Science.
And please think of the issue of the stray dog and the water cooler as well. They are no Rocket Science either.
My best wishes.
I am hopeful that there would have been adequate response for everyone to see.
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