Tripura Forms Special Team to Address Issues Concerning Smart Meters Installation
### Controversy Surrounding Smart Meter Installations in Tripura
In recent times, the installation of smart meters in Tripura has sparked controversy and public outcry. The Tripura Electricity Consumers Association has voiced concerns that the initiative is a disguised attempt to "smartly rob" electricity users, alleging that consumers are being misled and intimidated into having these meters installed [1][5].
The Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) is under pressure to recover a substantial sum of Rs 450 crore from consumers, many of whom have not paid their bills for several months [1]. This financial burden has led to the corporation's search for solutions, with the installation of 6 lakh smart meters across Tripura being part of a larger effort to modernize the power sector under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme [1][2].
However, concerns about the fairness of the billing process have arisen. Allegations of electricity bill manipulation have prompted the government to order an investigation, and a task force has been formed by TSECL to address any issues related to smart meters [3][4].
The task force's actions have already resulted in the suspension of a meter reader and the serving of a show cause notice to a meter agency following allegations of average billing in Khowai district's Lalcheera [4]. This incident comes on the heels of a consumer being billed over Rs 82,000 after the installation of a smart meter [6].
The TSECL has also established two WhatsApp groups for consumers to lodge complaints about smart meters [7]. The formation of a four-member task force is aimed at addressing these complaints and ensuring that the concerns of consumers are adequately addressed [3][4].
The Tripura Power Minister, Ratan Lal Nath, has emphasized that smart meters are a "reliable and trusted measuring machine" [2]. Despite this, he has acknowledged that there is discontent among some people regarding the installation of smart meters [8].
The minister has also clarified that neither the government nor the TSECL intends to trouble consumers [9]. However, the opposition Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Congress have strongly objected to the installation of smart meters [5][6]. The minister has also addressed allegations from the opposition that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) finished second in the Tripura civic poll [10].
In response to the public outcry, the minister announced the formation of the task force in a video post [3]. The task force's investigations and the consumers' complaints will undoubtedly play a crucial role in determining the future of smart meter installations in Tripura.
- Amidst the controversy surrounding smart meter installations in Tripura, concerns about the fairness of the billing process in the general-news sector has led to an order for an investigation in both politics and sports media.
- Despite the Tripura Power Minister's assertion that smart meters are reliable, the ongoing controversy has put the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme's modernization efforts in sports news under scrutiny, with political parties opposing the installations.
