Mumbai, July 3 (IANS) Clarifying the ongoing row over the deployment of smart electricity meters in Maharashtra, Minister of State for Power Meghna Sakore Bordikar on Friday told the State Assembly that installing these meters is a legal obligation under Central regulations.

She urged lawmakers not to generate unnecessary panic or misconceptions among consumers regarding inflated billing.

The issue was raised through a Calling Attention Motion by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Bhimrao Tapkir concerning frequent power outages and smart meter concerns in Pune.

Joining the discussion, Opposition and ruling alliance lawmakers, including Chetan Tupe, Nilesh Rane, and Nana Patole, fiercely cornered the MahaYuti government, claiming massive public resentment over allegedly skyrocketing electricity bills.

Participating in the debate, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Chetan Tupe alleged that electricity bills had nearly tripled after the installation of smart meters.

“There is immense anger among the public. Is there a transparent mechanism to verify if the meters manufactured by these companies are accurate? Furthermore, will consumers have the right to choose which meter they want to install?” he asked.

Congress legislator Nana Patole launched a sharper offensive, alleging a nexus with big corporations.

“The installation is being outsourced to a major private corporation whose personnel handle the setup instead of state electricity board officials. When consumers complain, officials wash their hands off it, claiming they didn’t install the meters. These devices are inflating bills fourfold, disrupting household budgets. Under whose pressure is this entire exercise being run?” he asked.

He added that the Electricity Act “is not God-given” and can be modified to protect citizens from financial exploitation.

Shiv Sena MLA Nilesh Rane warned of deteriorating law and order in rural areas.

“A conflict over smart meters is brewing in almost every legislator’s constituency. The situation in the districts is so volatile that on-ground officials are at risk of being physically assaulted. The government should pause this rollout. The data claiming low complaints is fabricated; ground-level officials are hiding the truth from the Ministry,” he charged.

Refuting the Opposition’s claims with statistical evidence, Minister Bordikar said that installing smart meters is mandated under the Central Electricity Act of 2003 and the Central Electricity Authority (Installation and Operation of Meters) Regulations, 2006.

“In Pune alone, nearly 9.74 lakh meters have been installed up to June 2026. Out of 11,770 complaints regarding fast-running meters or high bills, checking mechanisms proved that only four complaints had factual merit,” she added.

“Therefore, the narrative that smart meters inherently increase electricity bills is completely false. On the contrary, smart meters allow consumers to benefit from cheaper power tariffs during daytime hours,” she said.

Addressing Nana Patole’s reminder that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had previously assured the House that smart meters would be optional, Minister Bordikar clarified a technical distinction.

“The Chief Minister’s assurance regarding the voluntary choice applied specifically to prepaid smart meters. The ones currently being rolled out across the state are regular post-paid smart meters, which remain legally mandatory for all power distribution companies to install,” the Minister concluded, promising that any valid consumer grievances would continue to be resolved immediately.

–IANS

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