Agartala: Pradesh Congress spokesperson Prabir Chakraborty on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the BJP government over the rollout of smart electricity meters, alleging that ordinary consumers were being burdened with inflated bills under the guise of modernisation.
Addressing a press conference at Pradesh Congress Bhavan in Agartala, Chakraborty demanded scrapping of smart meters and withdrawal of associated charges. He alleged that despite unchanged consumption patterns, several households had reported bills rising several-fold after smart meters were installed, and questioned who would be held accountable if such discrepancies stemmed from technical faults or faulty readings.
Chakraborty clarified he was not opposed to technology in principle, but said its use must genuinely benefit consumers through transparency and affordability, not add financial strain. Citing his own household’s billing anomaly as an example, he said he was personally verifying the issue.
He demanded public disclosure of consumption and billing data before and after smart meter installation, along with an impartial probe into complaints of abnormal bills to identify the root cause.
SC Department Chairman Niranjan Das and Sadar District President Tanmoy Roy were present at the press meet.