Agartala, July 8:The rollout of smart electricity meters in Tripura has ignited a fresh political storm, with opposition parties launching sharp attacks on the ruling BJP over alleged inflated power bills and lack of transparency.
The Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL)’s move to install smart meters has triggered widespread public protests and road blockades in various parts of the state.
Amid mounting complaints from consumers that their monthly electricity bills have doubled since the installation of smart meters, Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath on Tuesday announced that the state government has started installing the meters in a phased manner, beginning with the residences and offices of Chief Minister Manik Saha, cabinet ministers, and all government departments.
Out of 10.26 lakh power consumers, about 90,000 smart meters have already been installed across Tripura. Nath asserted that the initiative is aimed at ensuring billing accuracy, empowering consumers to monitor their energy use, and ending reliance on manual meter readings. “Smart meters are a consumer-friendly, state-of-the-art technology with no scope for inflated bills,” Nath said, announcing that two control centres will soon be operational to oversee the system’s functioning.
He also informed that by next week, the 2,700 employees of TSECL will also be brought under the smart meter coverage.
However, the Opposition has not taken the move lightly. CPIM state secretary and Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury accused the BJP-led government of “daylight robbery” under the guise of smart meter and rooftop solar initiatives.
“While the BJP government in Tripura is forcing smart meters on people, in West Bengal a BJPaleader there who is also a central minister is opposing the same — this exposes the party’s double standards,” he said, citing a viral video on social media.
Chaudhury further alleged that power tariff slabs have been increased silently without public consultation, and private players have been allowed into the power sector, worsening the plight of common consumers.
Congress leader Prabir Chakraborty echoed similar sentiments, accusing the suppliers of the smart meters of siphoning off crores of rupees. “People who earlier paid a few hundred rupees are now getting power bills in lakhs. In many cases, bills have doubled or even tripled. This is nothing but a financial assault on the poor,” said Chakraborty, also the Congress spokesman, at a press conference.
He also blamed the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited for secretly hiking tariffs and additional charges, placing a crushing burden on citizens already reeling under high inflation and joblessness since the BJP came to power.
As the smart meter debate intensifies, the issue is fast turning into a major political flashpoint and continues to fuel anger among Tripura’s power consumers.
