KMSS lashes out at APDCL, govt for organising pre-Diwali celebration

Guwahati, Oct 26: As protests over smart meters and rising electricity bills grow in the state, Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) has voiced strong criticism against the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) for planning a pre-Diwali celebration at Bijulee Bhawan in Guwahati.

Bidyut Saikia, general secretary of the Samiti, described the event as "baseless" and questioned the timing, given the ongoing protests against smart meters across the state.

“Instead of pre-Diwali celebrations, the electricity department should be playing jhandi munda with the money they've looted from the people through smart meters. Even after several protests demanding a boycott of the smart meters, why is Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma silent on this issue?" he told the press, on Saturday.

The criticism extends to Power Minister Nandita Garlosa, with Saikia stating, “The power minister is of no use. She doesn’t even know what is happening in and around the state.”

The criticism stems from a notification issued by the APDCL inviting its staff to participate in the pre-Diwali celebration scheduled for October 30, prompting backlash from the KMSS and other groups.

In a statement, KMSS asserted, “When people are protesting against smart meters, how the government and the power department can consider organising such events? While they are illegally looting lakhs of rupees from the public through smart meters, they are organising an event with that money.”

In recent times, protests against the smart meter system have escalated in several districts, with demonstrators demanding its complete withdrawal.

On September 11, large crowds took to the streets of Guwahati, expressing their grievances over alleged discrepancies related to the implementation of smart meters.

Members of the All Assam Electricity Consumers Association (AAECA) led a protest in front of Bijulee Bhawan in the Paltan Bazar area, where they presented five key demands to the state government.

Among their demands were the removal of smart meters, a return to manual meters, the establishment of a consumer redressal forum in each division, and an end to persistent load shedding.