People in Bihar are tired of Nitish Kumar’s prepaid electric metres

Smart prepaid electric metres are being quickly installed in Bihar by the state’s Energy Department. The fairness and transparency of power billings have come under scrutiny as a result of the new prepaid electric metering scheme.

According to reports, a large number of customers have encountered inaccurate metre readings and a lack of transparency in the billing process. Customers have sometimes lost power suddenly since the switch to smart-prepaid electric metres because of a variety of factors, including technological malfunctions and network problems.

A cart puller in Muzaffarpur named Abdur Rahman voiced his sorrow by stating, “The power agency cut my electricity unfairly alleging a negative balance of Rs 4000. In this sweltering weather, my infant is struggling. I have a handcart and make a modest 400 to 500 rupees every day. I’m left wondering what I may be able to accomplish at this point. Nobody appears to be taking notice of my situation.

a weakened elderly guy In his three-room home in Muzaffarpur’s Faiz Colony, Mr. Gulaab is without an air conditioner and other useful but high-power-consuming electrical gadgets. His home is just decorated with a few light bulbs and fans. I don’t know what this’smart metre’ is, he wailed incoherently to The Statesman. I have no idea how to use the smart metre application. I struggle to find the money to pay for my medicine since my kid resides overseas. How will I cover my power costs? My monthly power bill used to vary between Rs 600 and Rs 800 before this new metre was put, but now I pay that much for electricity within a week. The speed of the new metre readings is dangerously fast.

Will the electricity industry and DISCOMs advance by defrauding the public? said Kameshwar Prasad, a senior social worker and theatrical artist who lives in Muzaffarpur’s Chakbasu neighbourhood. Will this smart metre, which has cost consumers so much money, lead to any progress?

Last week, a bandh was held in Muzaffarpur as part of the Prepaid Metre Hatao Postpaid Metre Lagao Abhiyan in protest of the “smart metre” abnormalities. The Muzaffarpur Auto Rickshaw Employees Union, North Bihar Chamber of Commerce, Om Sevadal, Sudama Nandi Foundation, Vande Mataram Vahini, and a few more organisations supported this bandh, which was arranged by the Bihar Civil Society.

What is an electric smart prepayment metre?

A web-based monitoring system connects the smart prepayment metres. Smart prepaid electric metres are said to reduce commercial losses of utilities, increase revenues, and serve as a key tool in power sector reforms, according to EESL (Energy Efficiency Services Limited), a joint venture of four National Public Sector Enterprises – NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation Limited), PFC (Power Finance Corporation Limited), REC (Rural Electrification Company Limited), and POWERGRID, set up under the Ministry of Power, Government of India.

When was the smart prepaid electric metre introduced by the Bihar government?

Bijendra Prasad Yadav, the cabinet minister for energy, planning, and development for the state of Bihar, made the following remarks in his budget speech for the Energy Department that was given in the Bihar Legislative Assembly in 2019. There is a proposal to replace all power users’ current metres with smart pre-paid metres in light of the many advantages they provide. Through the Central Agencies REC, PFC, and EESL, steps are being made to put this plan into effect.

As part of its Smart Metre National Programme, EESL inked agreements with SBPDCL (South Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited) and NBPDCL (North Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited) in February 2021 for the installation of 2.34 million smart prepayment metres in Bihar.

Where do the authorities stand on the issue?

When The Statesman attempted to talk with Bihar’s Energy Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav about the problems, his private secretary said, “The Minister is currently unavailable as he is occupied with prior commitments.”

Principal Secretary for Energy, Sanjeev Hans, declined to comment on the subject of smart metres, stating, “Right now, I can’t say anything.”
Regarding this matter, The Statesman also got in touch with Deepak Kumar, Chief Engineer, Energy Department, Bihar. There is a bigger communication gap than the real issue at hand, he added. Any problems that the public brings to my notice will be looked at right away.

When discussing the problem of a negative balance According to CE, “The outstanding amount is transferred to the new prepaid metre when an old electricity metre is replaced. The general population is perplexed by this as they question why the new metre still displays a pending amount despite proper and consistent charge.