Consumers’ Association gheraos TPCODL office in Khordha’s Jatani over smart meters, security deposit

Members of the Jatani Electricity Consumers’ Association on Tuesday gheraoed the TPCODL office in Jatani, Khordha district, protesting the collection of additional security deposits and the mandatory implementation of smart meters for domestic consumers.

According to reports, the protesters alleged that the power utility was imposing financial and technological measures on consumers without adequate justification or safeguards. The agitation was held outside the TPCODL office, where members of the association raised strong objections to what they termed consumer-unfriendly policies.

Three-point memorandum submitted

As part of the protest, the Consumers’ Association submitted a three-point memorandum of demands to the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) of TPCODL. The memorandum sought the withdrawal of the additional security deposit, reconsideration of the smart meter rollout for residential consumers, and greater transparency in billing and recovery practices.

The association warned that if their demands were not addressed promptly, the protest would be intensified in the coming days.

Concerns Over Safety and Fairness

Voicing concerns during the agitation, consumer Siba Prasad Rath questioned the rationale behind the additional security deposit and flagged safety issues related to the installation of smart meters.

“There is no valid reason to force consumers to pay an additional security deposit. The mandatory implementation of smart meters is unacceptable, as it could lead to power outages during medical emergencies. This should not be enforced on residential consumers. If it continues, the protests will be intensified,” Rath said.

Another consumer, Biju Chhotray, alleged selective recovery of dues by the power utility and demanded priority action against defaulters in the industrial sector.

“They should first recover pending dues from factories before imposing such measures on ordinary consumers. If our concerns are ignored, we will take the protest to the next level,” he said.