Tripura power corp to go ahead with smart meter installation
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This decision has been met with strong opposition from political parties, civil society organisations, and consumer groups across the state.
Protesters have criticised BJP's stance on smart meters, pointing out the party's contradictory position in West Bengal, where it opposed the installation of smart meters. Following protests over allegedly inflated electricity bills, the West Bengal govt halted the installation of smart meters for domestic consumers.
"The BJP's actions in Tripura contradict their stance in West Bengal," said Jitendra Chaudhury, leader of the opposition. "The West Bengal govt recognised the issues and stopped the installation work," he added.
Despite the backlash, TSECL managing director Biswajit Basu defended the decision, stating that the allegations against smart meters are unfounded and that any issues are likely due to human error or local problems.
In a related development, TSECL has issued a showcause notice to TDS Management Consultants Pvt. Ltd, a Punjab-based billing agency, after uncovering significant irregularities in Tripura's energy meter billing system. An investigation led by Tripura power minister Ratan Lal Nath revealed large-scale underbilling and potential corruption in Khowai district. The investigation found that meter readers submitted average billing data despite having fully functional meters, leading to financial losses for TSECL.
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Basu emphasised the benefits of smart meters, stating, "Smart meters will reduce TSECL's loss burden, improve consumer compliance, and enhance service quality. We've launched a campaign to educate consumers on the advantages of smart meters. The technology is reliable, similar to UPI transactions, which have not reported discrepancies."
As the controversy continues, TSECL remains firm in its commitment to modernizing the state's electricity infrastructure.
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