Tripura Sets Up Task Force To Tackle Complaints Over Smart Meter

The Tripura State Electricity Corporation Ltd (TSECL) has constituted a four-member task force for speedy disposal of complaints on smart meters, Tripura Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath said. The development comes in the wake of statewide protests by the opposition Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Congress over the installation of smart meters.

"Discontent is seen among a section of people over the installation of smart meters. Following my instruction, the TSECL has constituted a task force to solve the issues related to smart meters," Tripura Power Minister said in a video post on Wednesday night. If any consumer has any issue, he or she can lodge a complaint through two WhatsApp groups floated by the state power utility.

Claiming that the smart meters are a "reliable and trusted measuring machine", the minister also mentioned that action has been taken against a meter reader and meter reading agency for alleged average billing of a consumer in Khowai district's Lalcheera. Nath said a probe carried out by the TSECL found that the consumer had forged an understanding with the meter reader to ensure average energy bills, spanning over three years.

"Once a smart meter was installed in his house last month, the meter showed a bill amounting to over Rs 82,000, raising alarm among the consumers. The TSECL has already suspended the meter reader for adopting unethical means, and a show cause notice was served to the meter agency for the breach of trust leading to revenue loss," the minister said. He also made it clear that neither the government nor the TSECL has any intention to trouble the consumers.

Recently, the TSECL has announced plans to install 6 lakh smart meters across the state, to which the CPI(M) and Congress have strongly objected. Leader of opposition in the assembly, Jitendra Chaudhury, on Tuesday strongly opposed the move to install smart meters, alleging that energy bills have increased substantially after the introduction of the new machines. The Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) also staged a protest in front of TSECL headquarters, demanding a rollback of the tariff hike and the smart meter plan.