Seeks probe over switching from Digital to Smart & now Prepaid meters
JAMMU, Jul 29: Shri Ram Sena (SRS), Jammu and Kashmir, expressed his deep concern over the government’s frequent switch from digital to smart and now prepaid electricity meters. He firmly believed that this relentless alteration of metering systems is causing unnecessary harassment to thousands of honest electricity consumers in the region.
In a statement issued today, Rajiv Mahajan, President of Shri Ram Sena (SRS), Jammu and Kashmir, voiced his skepticism regarding the effectiveness of switching from one type of meter to another, emphasizing that such measures do not address the core issues faced by the Power Development Department. Despite the transition to smart meters, the department continues to grapple with significant losses and able to provide regular power supply to the people of Jammu region despite the assurance given by the authorities from time to time.
Highlighting his suspicion of a potential nexus involved in the replacement of old digital meters with smart meters, Rajiv Mahajan called upon the authorities to thoroughly investigate and put an end to the leakage of illegal power usage. He further urged the government to take stringent action against prominent individuals or entities with high power consumption and pending power bills worth crores. He firmly believed that this proactive approach will be more effective in resolving the issue of non-payment and revenue collection, rather than subjecting honest consumers to the burden of frequent changes in metering systems.
Rajiv Mahajan criticized the Jammu Power Development Corporation Ltd (JPDCL) for adopting new revenue collection methods, which he deems unacceptable and illogical. He argued that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are already fulfilling their financial obligations by paying income tax, GST, water bills, power bills, among others. Moreover, consumers have voiced complaints regarding smart meters running significantly faster than the digital meters previously installed, leading to doubts about the accuracy and fairness of the new system, he added.
Mahajan urged the government to refrain from harassing honest consumers under the pretext of implementing smart meters. He called for a more equitable and responsible approach to address the challenges faced by the power sector in Jammu and Kashmir.
