Assam: Awareness Meeting on Smart Prepaid Meters Held Among Electricity Consumers in Dhubri

 A CORRESPONDENT

DHUBRI: An awareness meeting on ‘Know Your Smart Prepaid Meter’ was organized among consumers by the Dhubri Division, APDCL here on Saturday.

In view of confusion and grievances among a large section of consumers about installation of new smart prepaid meters that they might cause over- billing, Dhubri Divisional APDCL conducted the meeting with leading citizens of the town to clear the doubts and confusion in the mind of consumers about smart prepaid meters.

Consultant of Consumer Redressal Cell, Abhijit Sarma spoke at a length on smart prepaid meter, explaining its efficiency and competence of zero-error billing. “There should not be any doubts among the consumers about over billing. Of course, few cases of wrong and over billing had come to light recently and when they were brought to our notice through social and print media, we addressed them carefully and corrected the faults therein. So, any problem regarding billing, if brought to the notice of the Consumers’ Redressal Cell, will be satisfactorily addressed,” Sarma said.

Speaking on behalf of consumers, chairman of Dhubri Municipal Board, Dr Debamoy Sanyal said that the people who come to install the smart prepaid meters should carry identity cards and prior to installation, letter should also be served informing about changing or installing of new meter. “Before installation of smart prepaid meters, consumers should be informed. I suggest the Dhubri Divisional APDCL to conduct more awareness programmes and to distribute one-page leaflets informing about the smart prepaid meter, among the consumers,” Dr Sanyal added.

Another consumer and a social worker of Dhubri town, Suresh Harlalka also questioned about fixed charge, security money and surcharge and sought reply from officials of consumers’ redressal cell, which were duly answered by them. In order to make smart prepaid meters consumer friendly, many consumers shared their personal experiences in respect of meter and suggested to open 3-4 billing and consumer help centres in the town.

APDCL officials from Kokrajhar Circle, CEO, Bijaya Boro, Circle, Dhubri Divisional Assistant General Manager, Rakesh Kumar Saha, DM (CRMS), Nibedita Mahata and DM (CAR) Mukhtarul Haque were also present in the meeting and delivered their speech on various features of the smart prepaid meter. Later talking to The Sentinel, Dhubri Divisional Assistant General Manager, Rakesh Kumar Saha informed that there were nearly 15,000 consumers in Dhubri town area, but they had targeted 14,000 consumers as of now. So far, 6,000 smart prepaid meters have been installed.

“We are conducting awareness programmes among consumers so that the installation of smart prepaid meters becomes smooth and hassle free for both APDCL and consumers,” Saha added.

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