Opposition to prepaid smart electricity meters continues to grow in Nagpur, with the SMART/Prepaid Veej Meter Virodhi Nagrik Sangharsh Samiti announcing a protest march on June 25. The march will commence from Mangalwari and culminate at Vidyut Bhavan, according to Samiti Chief Organiser Mohan Sharma, who addressed a press conference on Tuesday.
Sharma criticised the prepaid smart meter initiative, alleging that it is detrimental to consumers and could serve as a precursor to the privatisation of electricity distribution services. He said the agitation has garnered support from several political parties, including the Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT), CPI (ML) and the Aam Aadmi Party. Congress leaders Prafulla Gudadhe, Atul Londhe and Dr Yugal Rayalu were also present at the briefing.
Dr Rayalu expressed concern that the proposed system would force consumers to recharge electricity in advance, similar to prepaid mobile services. He alleged that households could face automatic power disconnections once their balance is exhausted, causing inconvenience to consumers. He also questioned whether local power distribution officials would be able to restore supply promptly in such cases.
The Sangharsh Samiti further raised objections to the cost of the smart meter rollout, claiming that the substantial expenditure involved in the project would eventually be passed on to consumers through increased electricity charges. It also argued that replacing already functional digital meters with new smart meters amounts to an unnecessary waste of public funds.
Calling for wider public participation, the Samiti urged citizens to resist the installation of prepaid smart meters in their neighbourhoods and demanded that the government reconsider and withdraw the scheme in its current form. The organisation has appealed to electricity consumers, social groups, activists and political workers to join the June 25 march and register their opposition to the project.
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