It happens only in India !

uncle main pichle do hafte mein char baar aa chuka hoon, aap har baar bolte hain ki aaj ho jayega?
lekin aaj tak mere ghar ka electricity meter change karne koi nahi aaya !
"Achcha ! ho jayega beta, main aaj hi karwata hoon.", that middle aged fellow (raavan ki nalayak aaulad !!), says in a very sweet voice. But no, this time I'm not gonna go unless and until he sends someone with me rightaway to get it done.
This is india. If you want to get your domestic electricity meter changed because its not working(i.e. reading is constant), you are the one who has to take the pains to get it done !
No, I'm not that interested in paying more money to electricity board but they will loot me by giving big bills if I don't go and tell them that the electricity meter is not working.
Their meter readers don't notice it when they come to take readings. And if you go tell them about why did you get so much charge in the bill? They have simple answer, sir, your meter is not working, so we have given your bill based on past averages (which seems like the average of squares of bill amounts!).
The first time you go there, they ask you to submit a xerox of your bill for address (oh great! I'm a subscriber and they don't even know my address!). The second time, they actually misplace it 'by mistake', so you give them one more xerox. And still there is no result !
But then finally I go and talk to my neighbour who also works in elec. board, but at a different sub station. And now I actually understand the real reason, when he tells that they take some 200 rs. or more for getting this thing done. so he suggests me, you try to get it done tomm. this way or else give me the money and I'll get the work done(no, atleast I've that much trust on him that he's not gonna eat my money).
So, I went again and gave my last chance on getting work done in a government office of India, without giving bribe. And whoa !!
hard work always pays...!!
I guess that officer(or I must call him just a govt. employee) was finally guilty when I went there for three consecutive days and he then ordered his subordinate to go with me and change the meter immediately.
I just guess, what was wrong in sending him two weeks before itself on my first complaint !
That would atleast have increased my respect for the electricity board.
"positive thinking" - yea, there is still some hope to get your work done in government offices without giving bribe, provided you are prepared to work hard for it! (Its a pity that many of us choose the previous one just for the sake of little comfort.)
Just realised that I'm writing this post on the eve of Gandhi jayanti !
Bapu, janamdin mubarak ho :-)
Gandhigiri roxx!