Unconnected, Tax Problems and an Announcement

My Mobile Phone problems

As someone working for the government I haven’t had the good fortune of enjoying some of the perks the general public thinks we get for free, like subsidized accommodation (quarters, in our lingo), or free transportation or anything like that. The only such perk I rather enjoyed was something others pay through their noses for. But last week even that perk was withdrawn in typical government style without giving any reason. Last week my departmental SIM was deactivated leaving me without a mobile connection for a few days.

For a little over four years I did not have to worry much about my cell phone bills. I could talk to my heart’s content up to Rs 650 a month of talk time. However, I never reached that figure not that I talk very much. With just a few colleagues, friends and the family to talk with regularly my phone bill did not cross four hundred rupees a month, something which the government should thank me for. But instead, last week as I said earlier even that facility was withdrawn. We were told about it almost a month before but I did not much bothered to get a personal SIM card.

On Friday last I applied for a BSNL connection since I was impressed by their service. Another reason was that it happens to be a government enterprise and also since I feel that we government types should encourage each other. The lady at the counter told me that my connection would be activated by evening but it did not happen. Today happens to be Monday and as of writing this I am still waiting. I am resigned to being connected sometime on Tuesday, that is, if the lady remembers manages to locate my application.

I’m in no way handicapped by the absence of the mobile phone facility and am actually happy about it. However I cannot get over the feeling that half the world is trying to get in touch with me so I was slightly anxious. The delay in getting connected got on my nerves after a while and I started cribbing about it to everyone I came across. But it appears the mistake is all mine and I’ve learnt about it just now. Incredibly enough, even as I was writing this post I got a call from the BSNL lady on the landline saying that she had activated my phone long time back. Turns out, I had to switch off the phone once and switch it on for the SIM to connect to the network. No wonder I got a job in the government.

My Tax Problems

Out of the several things I am not good at, managing money (mine, that is) happens to be one. It is the prime reason why I am not able to make it to the Forbes list of World’s Richest Individuals. Not that I am not trying. But what I am really good at is making others rich, that is, putting my money into their pockets, especially the government’s. Out of the thousands of lakhs of rupees that the Government of India hopes to earn as taxes, exactly Rs 11,800 happens to be my contribution. One would get a good idea of how good I am at managing my finances if I reveal that this month I had to cough up Rs 11800 as Income Tax. It happens to be a little less than half of what flows into my salary account every month. It also means that I have to make a lot of sacrifices on the financial front if I am to make both ends meet during this month. So no books, new ones that is, in March. No weekly dinners at the Grand Kakatiya either. I was only joking about the dinners but want to be serious about the books, really.

…and My Spending Problems

However it hasn’t deterred me from buying a brand new book, something I rarely do, from a book store I happened to visit yesterday. At the Landmark at Banjara Hills I picked up Biswanath Ghosh’s ‘Chai, Chai’ that I had been planning to buy since a long time. Luckily, the book was in a list of bestsellers on sale at 25% discount. So I got the book originally priced at Rs 250 for Rs 188. Bishwanath Ghosh also happens to be a fountain pen aficionado which was what made me read his blog after reading his column in ‘The New Indian Express’ where he used to work earlier. His is one of the few blogs I read regularly. Here’s the link

AN ANNOUNCEMENT

On Friday, 5th March Hari is launching his second novel titled ‘If You Love Someone’ at Landmark in Banjara Hills at 6-30 PM. The book is being launched by Gunnam Gangaraju (producer and director of Telugu movies) and Indraganti Mohana Krishna (Director of ‘Ashta Chemma). Those in Hyderabad reading this blog are welcome to the launch.