HT Correspondent
MARGHERITA, Sept 2: Satra Mukti Sangram Samity and Nari Mukti Sangram Samity Margherita, Bordumsa, Tirap, and Jagun Regional Committee staged a dharna on Monday in front of the office of the APDCL Margherita Sub-Divisional Engineer.
More than 500 members of Satra Mukti Sangram Samity, Nari Mukti Sangram Samity, and local residents of Margherita gathered in front of the APDCL Margherita office, shouting various slogans against the BJP-led government, both at the Union and state levels, for forcefully installing smart metres in every house in Assam.
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Papu Dutta, president, and Rahul Chetry, general secretary of the Satra Mukti Sangram Samity Central Committee, stated that it is very unfortunate that banned smart metres have been installed in every house in Assam, while other states such as Gujarat, Delhi, and West Bengal have already withdrawn their smart metre installations. They questioned why chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma decided to install smart metres in Assam, suggesting there might be ulterior motives.
Papu Dutta further claimed that the smart metre is a “smart way of looting money” from the general public in Assam. He demanded that chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, state Power minister Nandita Gorlosa, and APDCL higher authorities immediately halt the installation of smart metres. He also mentioned that a memorandum has been submitted to the Tinsukia district commissioner through the Margherita sub-divisional officer (civil), demanding the cessation of money collection through smart metres, the return of all money collected via smart metres from the public, stringent action against contractors who forcefully installed smart metres in homes, and the immediate stop of further installations. He warned that if these demands are not met, Satra Mukti Sangram Samity and the people of Margherita will submit their smart metres to the APDCL Margherita Sub-Divisional Engineer’s office.
A few hours after the Satra Mukti Sangram Samity’s dharna program, members of the Margherita Regional Student Union, under the directive of the Tinsukia District Student Union, staged a protest on Monday afternoon by burning a replica of the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) in front of the office of the Margherita Sub-Divisional Engineer.
The protest saw the participation of over 100 members, who raised slogans denouncing the ruling BJP-led government, the chief minister, the state Power minister, and APDCL authorities.
Rupam Baruah, the advisor of the Margherita Regional Student Union, voiced strong criticism against the state government’s decision to implement smart metres in households across Assam. According to him, this initiative has led to widespread frustration among residents, who are now burdened with excessive charges for electricity prepayment, often exceeding Rs 2,000 per month—a situation he describes as a significant scam
Baruah further argued that smart metres should be restricted to industrial, commercial, and business establishments, rather than being installed in every household. He highlighted that other states like Gujarat and Delhi have rejected the deployment of smart metres, raising questions about why Assam’s government has permitted their installation.
The Margherita Regional Student Union has issued a stern warning, demanding that chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the state Power minister immediately revoke the order mandating smart metres in households. The Union cautioned that failure to comply would result in the intensification of their agitation in Margherita.
