Zeenews Bureau
Mumbai: Naming localities in India as Chhota Pakistan and Laden Nagar may surprise most but that is how a slum cluster in Nalla Sopara near Mumbai is known to locals.
And, the names seem to have earned official sanction with electricity bills generated by state’s power distribution company- Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution company, using the names to identify connections in the locality.
As per NDTV, the matter came to fore when locals submitted these electricity bills as proof of their residential status for unique identification or Adhaar cards, being issued to all Indian citizens.
However, the residents – majority being members of a minority community - are not happy with the adverse branding of these localities and their reference to Pakistan and al-Qaeda founder Osama Bin Laden
The actual name of the area is said to be Laxmi Nagar.
The local residents claim that despite complaining for several times, no government official has bothered to look into the matter.
As per them, the officials of the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) know about this gaffe but they do nothing.
Further investigations into the matter revealed why this patch between Santosh Nagar and the Western Express highway came to be called Chhota Pakistan.
The locals claim that sometimes back there was high tension between the builder mafia and the local police here following which the cops started referring to this locality as Chhota Pakistan.
Local corporator Chaya Patil raised this issue and brought the shocking lapse of the state electricity department to the attention of the district collector.
Meanwhile, the State Minorities Commission has asked the MSEB to probe the "serious lapse" on its bills.
