Protest erupts over 'forced' smart meters in Guwahati, Oppn demands complete rollback
AT Photo: Opposition leaders protesting against smart meters
Guwahati, Sept 20: The United Opposition Forum staged a demonstration in front of Bijulee Bhawan in Guwahati’s Paltan Bazar on Friday morning, demanding the complete withdrawal of smart meters in the state.
The Forum submitted a memorandum to the Chairman of Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL), requesting an immediate halt and reversal of the prepaid smart meter installations across the state.
The Forum highlighted that the initial plan for prepaid smart meters focused on government offices, institutions at the block level and above, as well as industrial and commercial consumers. However, the state government "forcibly installed prepaid smart meters" among domestic consumers, which was not part of the original plan.
“Approximately 80% of the revenue collected by APDCL comes from government organizations, industries, and commercial establishments, while only 20% is contributed by domestic consumers. Despite this, the government has prioritized the installation of prepaid meters for domestic users instead of focusing on higher-revenue-generating entities. This raises serious concerns about the transparency of the process and the decision-making involved,” the Forum stated in its memorandum.
The Forum also alleged that numerous consumers have reported faulty meter readings, leading to exorbitant bills.
“In several instances, consumers have seen their electricity bills double or even triple after the installation of prepaid smart meters, despite no significant change in their consumption patterns,” the memorandum added.
The Forum demanded an immediate halt to prepaid meter installations in homes, reversal of existing installations, prioritisation of government, industrial, and commercial establishments, a transparent review of the installation process, and an independent inquiry into faulty meters and inflated bills.
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) chief Bhupen Kumar Borah, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) chief Lurinjyoti Gogoi, Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Assembly Debabrata Saikia, and Rajya Sabha MP Ajit Bhuyan were among the prominent leaders who took part in the protest.
During the protest, AJP chief Lurinjyoti Gogoi accused the state government of "looting the common man by pleasing the Adani group" to receive commissions. APCC chief Bhupen Borah added, “The government has imposed the burden of the smart meter on the common man's head only for commission figures.”
Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia stated that a letter was sent to the Gauhati High Court to seek a response from the state government about the smart meters, but no reply has been received to date.
