RJD to Protest Against Surge in Electricity Bills Due to Smart Meters

RJD alleges that smart prepaid electric meters are causing electricity bills to spike four to five times. They plan to stage protests across Bihar on October 1 against their installation. The party demands an immediate halt to the installation and a third-party review to examine the relevance of smart meters.

Alleging a steep increase in electricity bills due to smart prepaid electric meters, the opposition RJD has announced state-wide protests on October 1. According to party state president Jagdanand Singh, the government is forcibly installing these meters to benefit private power companies, causing a heavy financial burden on consumers. 'We will not allow this to happen,' Singh asserted.

Singh demanded that the government stop the installation immediately to provide relief to the public. He also called for a third-party review committee to investigate the necessity of smart meters, describing the situation as 'extortion of the public by private power companies with the support of the Nitish Kumar government.'

Singh pointed out that other states have resisted the installation of smart meters and criticized the Bihar government's deadline of March 2025 for completing the installation across all districts. He emphasized that the lower income levels revealed in a recent caste survey make the installation unfair, particularly in rural areas where the majority of people do not own smartphones.

(With inputs from agencies.)