STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The All Assam Electricity Consumers Association (AAECA) on Wednesday demanded a reduction in electricity tariffs, the provision of 125 units of free power for domestic consumers and the immediate establishment of Consumer Grievance Redressal Forums at every administrative level in Assam, while announcing a series of statewide protests to press its demands.
Speaking to the media in Guwahati, AAECA advisor Bimal Das and convenor Ajoy Acharjee said the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited had submitted its tariff petition to the Assam Electricity Regulatory Commission, with the revised rates set to come into force from April 1, 2026. They alleged that despite earning an estimated profit of around Rs 400 crore in the previous financial year under the existing tariff regime, the utility had not proposed any meaningful reduction in power rates.
The association leaders argued that electricity was an essential public service and that a fully government-owned company should not function with a profit motive. They claimed that instead of passing on financial gains to consumers, APDCL had sought to maintain current tariffs for some categories while proposing marginal increases for others, even as consumers in earlier years were made to shoulder the burden of the utility’s losses.
Referring to the rollout of smart meters, the association said Assam, along with Bihar, had emerged as a leading state in their implementation. They pointed out that Bihar had been providing 125 units of free electricity to domestic consumers since August 2025 and urged the Assam government to introduce a similar scheme without delay.
AAECA also accused the power utility of undermining consumer rights by failing to put in place Consumer Grievance Redressal Forums as mandated under the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020. Although the regulatory commission had issued directions to APDCL following representations from the association, forums at the sub-division and division levels had allegedly neither been constituted nor publicly notified.
The association further alleged that nearly 50 lakh domestic consumers had been shifted to the prepaid system without receiving refunds of their security deposits, which were instead adjusted in a manner it termed unlawful. It claimed that the cost of obtaining a new domestic electricity connection had risen sharply, largely due to charges linked to smart meter installation.
Raising concerns over safety, the association alleged that power distribution work was increasingly being carried out by contractual and daily wage workers without adequate safeguards, leading to a rise in electrocution cases. It also claimed that the recommendations of the Justice H.N. Sarma Commission on electrical accidents had not been implemented. Concerns were also expressed over changes in the composition of the State-level grievance forum, which the association said now lacked adequate legal representation.
Announcing its next steps, AAECA said it would begin a week-long awareness campaign from February 10 based on its charter of demands and would observe a statewide “Demand Day” on February 16 to intensify pressure on the authorities.
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