Akhil Gogoi’s residence gets manual meter after electricity price hike outcry
AT Photo
Guwahati, Aug 23: After protesting against the Assam government during the autumn assembly over the rising price of electricity by smart meters, Sivasagar MLA and Raijor Dal chief Akhil Gogoi received a manual meter from the government in order to compare the electricity rate.
The manual meter has been installed at Gogoi’s Nizarapar residence in Guwahati.
Speaking to the media Gogoi raised the concern of people living in rural areas who lack the knowledge of using smartphones to check or pay for their prepaid electricity bills online.
“We all know that to make use of smart meters, we need smartphones. Around 60 percent of people in rural areas are deprived of smartphones. I myself don’t feel very comfortable using smartphones to pay electricity bills, so how will people with a lack of smartphones be able to use them?” asserted Gogoi.
“Smart meters are controlled by APDCL, so if they can control the electricity, maybe they can manipulate the meter reading as well,” added Gogoi.
He further claimed that “the wealthy states in India are not using smart meters so far. However, in Assam, 36 percent of people are using smart meters; 25,00,000 people have installed smart meters; and 25 percent of people in Bihar are using smart meters. Kerala, Gujarat, and other wealthy states have not installed smart meters.”
On Thursday, Akhil Gogoi staged a unique protest by holding a lamp in one hand and a smart meter in the other.
The Raijor Dal chief demanded the immediate withdrawal of the smart meter system, which he claimed was “looting the consumers left, right, and center.”
During the autumn assembly session, opposition leaders accused the government of silencing dissent, alleging that the speaker denied MLAs the opportunity to address the “discrepancies” in the smart meter system and the challenges faced by consumers.
They demanded a thorough investigation into the alleged corruption surrounding the smart meters.
Opposition members held a demonstration on the Assembly premises, protesting against the government’s “indifferent attitude” towards the issue. Holding placards, the members of the opposition called for the government to issue a white paper on the matter.
