Aizawl: Mizo National Front (MNF) legislator Ramthanmawia on Tuesday urged the Mizoram govt to inspect smart electricity meters before continuing their use by consumers.Raising the issue through a calling-attention motion in the state assembly, Ramthanmawia said power consumers had submitted numerous complaints about a sharp increase in their electricity bills after smart meters were installed in their homes.“As the bills of many domestic consumers are increasing by up to five times, is it possible that the smart meters have been tampered with?” he asked, adding that the meters were highly unreliable.The legislator urged the power and electricity minister to order an inquiry into the increase in bills before continuing the installation process, so that consumers did not suffer significant financial losses.He said the state govt had appointed Satnam Global Infra Project Limited to undertake the supply and installation of the meters from last year. He linked the installation to a steep rise in consumers’ electricity bills, despite the government’s position that there had been no increase in power tariffs.“One domestic consumer who used to pay around Rs 2,000 a month in April, May and June 2026 paid more than Rs 7,000 in July and is likely to pay more than Rs 10,000 in August,” he said.Ramthanmawia also alleged that smart meters, unlike the earlier meters, were running at an unusually high speed, resulting in increased electricity bills. If the trend continued, he said, many consumers would be unable to pay their bills, leading to widespread disconnections.Responding to the motion, CM Lalduhoma, who was answering in the absence of power and electricity minister F Rodingliana, said the installation of smart meters had been mandated by the Centre and that the state govt had no choice but to implement the project.The CM said consumers could file complaints with a committee constituted by the govt.EOM
