Agartala: Former Tripura power minister and CPI(M) leader Manik Dey has urged the state govt to investigate allegations of inflated electricity bills and additional charges linked to smart meters.Dey said consumers had reported higher bills and service-related problems but had not received satisfactory explanations from the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Ltd (TSECL). He accused the govt of failing to address the growing complaints over electricity services, billing and smart meters since 2018, while issuing conflicting statements on the matter.He said consumers were not opposed to smart meters but questioned the reliability of their readings. Efforts to modernise the power grid had begun under the Left Front government to reduce losses and improve the reliability and quality of electricity supply, he added.Dey attributed the current problems to the quality and reliability of meters procured from a preferred company under the BJP govt. He said a World Bank-endorsed pilot project implemented during the Left Front regime had covered 50,000 smart meters without generating significant consumer complaints.He demanded an impartial investigation into complaints related to smart meters, transparent billing and a clearly defined mechanism for resolving consumer grievances.
