Prepaid smart meters meant to loot people: Oppn

Guwahati: The United Opposition Forum, consisting of 18 political parties led by Congress, staged a protest at the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited’s head office in Guwahati on Friday against “forcible installation” of prepaid smart electricity meters, which they claim is a means of looting the common people by imposing higher monthly charges.
Bhupen Kumar Borah, the president of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), stated that the installation of prepaid smart meters is currently one of the biggest issues in the state, severely affecting the common people.“The state govt has replaced the old analogue electricity meters with new prepaid smart meters across the state. But overnight, people found that their electrical bills have almost doubled. In other words, the financially-bankrupt Assam govt has installed the so-called smart meters in order to extort money from common people. People are very angry at this, and there has been much discussion in the media as well,” he added.
Borah demanded that the govt immediately stop the installation of prepaid smart electricity meters and restore the analog meters to provide relief to the people of the state. He emphasized that the protest will continue until the state govt complies with their demands.
Assam Jatiya Parishad president Lurinjyoti Gogoi accused the BJP-led govt of exploiting the common people from all directions. He said, “No option has been left for the common people to live a life worth living. Uncontrolled rise in prices of essential commodities, cooking gas, fuel, medicine, vegetables, construction materials and now electricity have burnt a hole in the pockets of the common people.”