7,000 faulty meters! Consumers stage demonstration in Salipur over Tata Power's meter replacement move

Protests erupted in Salipur over the decision to install digital meters by terming old ones as defective. 
The protestors gathered at the Salipur electricity division office and staged a demonstration accusing Tata Power of resorting to coercive practices.

Residents claimed that Tata Power has labelled the older meters as faulty to justify installing 7,000 new meters. 

As per sources, several meters have been replaced and the consumers alleged that the company is asking them to pay around Rs 7,000 for the meters. Similarly, they are now getting inflated bills after the meter replacement.

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Terming it as a conspiracy, the consumers alleged that the new meters have led to a tripling of their electricity bills, adding further financial strain on them.

Nanda Kishore Bhuiyan, a protestor said, “It is now 5 years that Tata Power has taken over power distribution in the state. The consumers are suffering here. The meters which were earlier provided are being termed as faulty and the company is trying to install new meters. The new meters are resulting in inflated bills which is a burden on consumers.”

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Ravindra Kumar Dixit, sub-divisional officer said, “Some defects have been detected in meters with two serial numbers and these will be replaced. Some issues with battery backup have been detected.”

 According to Kumar, post-paid meters will be installed and the head office will take a decision regarding the grievances of consumers and other aspects.