When the NDA government led by Nitish Kumar set a deadline of 2025 for the continuous installation of prepaid electricity meters in Bihar, the move led to a huge row, with protests by the Opposition and a section of the people. .
The main opposition RJD held sit-ins and marches on Tuesday across the country against the Nitish government’s move, alleging that it was aimed at “benefitting” other power companies and “extorting money” from consumers.
Jan Suraaj’s Prashant Kishor also opposed it, saying that the Nitish government’s three policies – “triple S – smart meters, sharab bandi (prohibition) and land survey – will cause it to lose the 2025 Assembly elections.
What is the purpose of installing smart meters?
The idea of ​​this proposal is to reduce the loss of electricity transmission and distribution due to electricity theft and non-payment of electricity bills, especially in rural areas. While the state government can also earn interest on bank interest in prepaying excess electricity bills after installation of smart meters, it can also help the government and consumers monitor energy consumption in real time. This move will also eliminate the cost of reading meters manually. Smart meters should also be considered “disruption proof” to ensure better management of the grid.
Which companies are involved in the installation process?
The state-owned North Bihar Power Distribution Company Ltd (NBPDCL) and South Bihar Power Distribution Company Ltd (SBPDCL), under the power ministry, are private companies responsible for electricity distribution. They have obliged private companies to install smart meters throughout the province.
What is the current status of its implementation?
The state government launched the installation of prepaid smart meters in September 2019 from Patna. It started installing these meters in rural belts from January 2023. So far, 50.23 lakh smart meters have been installed in the state, including 17.47 lakh meters in urban areas.
The state government has given a deadline that the process of installing meters in all 38 districts will be completed by 2025. It is currently installing meters in districts like Munger, Banka, Sheikhpura, Jamui, Bhojpur, Gaya, Purnia, Supaul, Bhagalpur, Kishanganj, Katihar, Arwal, East Champaran, West Champaran, Khagaria and Nawada.
What public complaints do companies receive?
Two of the most common complaints are about overcharging and sudden power cuts in the event of a negative balance on the bill. There are also complaints of non-return of electricity even after payment of the bill. Electricity companies have been facing resistance from local people, especially in rural areas, to smart meters because of their fear of inflation.
Why are political parties fighting for this?
RJD has made it a big issue. Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, who was visiting the country, is said to have received “complaints about smart meters from many people”. The RJD has announced that it will launch a sustained campaign against the Nitish government’s move, calling it a bid to “robber the people by overcharging”.
What is the Nitish Government’s response?
The NDA government dismissed the opposition’s allegations, with CM Nitish accusing it of “spreading false information among people about smart meters”.
Nitish recently chaired a high-level meeting of the energy ministry to review the situation. The government is considering a proposal to provide a “grace period” of 15 days for continuous power supply in case of an imbalance.
Due to growing protests, sources said, the Nitish government may slow down the implementation process or even halt the move until the Assembly polls in October-November 2025.