Guwahati: Consumers decry inflated power bills

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The All Assam Electricity Consumers' Association (AAECA) has called for the immediate stop of issuance of inflated power bills, privatization of power distribution, cancellation of the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022, cancellation of pre-paid smart meters and resolving various problems related to power.

The association raised all these demands at its state convention held in Guwahati today.

All India Electricity Consumer Association's working president, Ramesh Parashar, said, "The Central and the state governments have been conspiring to treat power supply as a profitable business instead of an essential service. It is why the government is trying its best to get the passage of the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022 in Parliament. The government wants to hand over the power sector to domestic and foreign capitalists. If the government becomes successful in getting the passage of the bill, the poor people will remain deprived of power."

Another speaker Dipak Saha said, "Despite power being in the concurrent list, the Central government has not taken the state governments into confidence in framing the power amendment bill. The Centre has ignored the rights of the state governments."

Speaking at the convention, prominent social worker Bimal Das said the electricity department is turning its back on the interests of ordinary consumers and protecting the interests of some rich and industrialists. In addition, the department imposes its burden of the deficit on consumers.

The convention unanimously passed the main resolution and decided to strengthen the electricity consumer movement in the state. Over 200 delegates and representatives of the association from various districts attended the convention held with prominent social worker Ajit Acharya in the chair.

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