Assam Electricity Consumers Demand Free Power and Reject Smart Meters

Guwahati: The Cachar District Coordination Committee of the All Assam Electricity Consumers' Association hit the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited office in Silchar on Monday. They submitted a four-point charter demanding 200 units of free monthly electricity for all domestic users. They also want an end to forced prepaid smart meter installations.

Reliability is a major issue. Frequent power cuts plague the region during summer heat or minor storms. Joint general secretary Sanjib Roy slammed the current grid performance. He told the gathered crowd, "prolonged load-shedding during the peak summer months and frequent power disruptions even during light rain or moderate winds have caused severe inconvenience to consumers."

The group argues that the Union Power Minister confirmed in Parliament that smart meters remain optional. They claim officials in Assam are ignoring this federal stance. The association also opposes the ongoing privatization of the state electricity sector and demands better service reliability.

Key figures backing the memorandum included Prof. Ajay Roy, Simanta Bhattacharjee, Nakul Ranjan Pal, Bandita Trivedi, Ranjit Choudhury, Prashanta Bhattacharjee, and labour leader Mrinal Kanti Som. The group plans more protests across Cachar if the APDCL fails to act on these demands.