Shivamogga farmer goes to MESCOM office to grind masalas and charge phones

Every day, a farmer from Mangote village in Shivamogga district, Karnataka, would go to the local electricity office to grind masala and charge phones in his house. Isn’t that strange?

M Hanumanthappa went to the Mangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (MESCOM) office near his home to use their electricity to grind masalas for his kitchen. He also used the space to charge his phones.

He’d been doing this for almost ten months, and officials haven’t objected.

Hanumanthappa’s household, on the other hand, has a daily electricity supply of 3-4 hours. They spend the remainder of the day in the dark, while their neighbours are fine, according to News 18.

The farmer approached MESCOM and several concerned officials to get access to a proper power supply at his house but in vain.

He even approached the local MLA for assistance, but it was in vain.

Hanumanthappa knew what he had to do – Take the advice seriously.

Vishwanath, a MESCOM junior engineer, reportedly stated that IP sets could not be charged due to heavy rainfall. Hanumanthappa can acquire a temporary power supply from the Mallapura distribution centre by drawing an electric line. According to the official, his house would be connected to the electrical grid within a month.

Hanumanthappa’s visits to the MESCOM office were documented on video and images, which were widely shared online. Around 10 junior staff have been served notice to have allowed the farmer to use a government office for personal work.

While Hanumanthappa’s visits to the MESCOM headquarters for masala grinding have ceased, his home still lacks power.