Nongpoh, Nov 5: Village headmen of Ri-Bhoi district have joined hands to raise a united front against any plan install smart electricity meters in rural areas.
During a meeting with deputy commissioner Abhilash Baranwal, the headmen under the banner of Synjuk ki Rangbah Shnong made it clear that they would not support any installation of so-called smart meters without public consultation.
The Synjuk had no information about the installation process and was surprised that committees responsible for deploying these meters entered homes to connect meters that led to financial stress due to the high rates of the electricity usage, said by BB Makdoh, chairman of the Synjuk ki Rangbah Shnong.
“Why is the electricity department focusing on installing these metres instead of taking the initiative to replace and renew old and damaged electric poles which are unsafe for the public,” Makdoh asked.
He also sought cooperation of other village representatives of the district to join hands in opposing this move of the power department and also sought the DC’s help to take up the matter at the earliest with the power department.
