Maharashtra State Electricity Board bills to certain areas in Thane mention 'Chhota Pakistan' as the address

Indian Express, 30 December 2012

Probe how 'Chhota Pakistan' was printed: Minorities Commission

The State Minorities Commission has asked the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) to probe the "serious lapse" of terming the Santosh Bhuvan area of Nalla Sopara in Thane with the derogatory term 'Chhota Pakistan' on its bills. "This is a serious matter. Please inquire into it and inform the Commission about your findings," State Minority Commission Chairman Munaf Hakim said in a letter to the MSEB chief. "Let us know at what level did the directive to term the area as 'Chhota Pakistan' emanated," the letter said. Hakim's letter came after the derogatory term, used to describe predominantly Muslim slums across the country, found its way into official documents.

In a shocking case of administrative apathy, residents of the Santosh Bhuvan area in Nalla Sopara 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 at least last 14 months.

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.