Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 19: A meeting of the presidents/general secretaries of different market associations was held at Chamber House under the presidentship of Arun Gupta, wherein all the members raised the pressing issues relating to escalating power bills after installation of smart meters.
Addressing the meeting, Arun Gupta apprised the members that he has taken up this matter at various forums and also held a press conference and meeting with MD JPDCL Shiv Anat Tatyal on 8th August wherein he had raised the pressing issues relating to escalating power bills after installation of smart meters which have caused distress among the consumers. He also questioned the necessity of replacing digital meters with smart meters.
He further said that he had voiced the apprehension about the installation of smart meters on the electric polls which have generated unease among the general public and has suggested that the meters should be installed within the consumer’s premises and urged that this abrupt shift can cause undue mental agony and distress among the power consumers and termed it as a direct attack the fundamental rights of the consumers.
Arun Gupta further said that the Government especially PDD is trying to mislead the public by comparing the meter reading of smart meters with the digital meters and said that the Department should come up with plausible reasons that how the consumers have received inflated bills after installation of smart meters.
He said the Government should rather take the issue on board and constitute a committee to look into the grievances of the public. He said it is strange that after installation of smart meters, a consumer who used to receive the power bills for Rs 1000 per month is receiving a bill for Rs 5000 per month and next month he again received the bill for an amount of approximately Rs 1000 only. Gupta said that they have been raising this aspect with the PDD but have not got any satisfactory reply to this unexplainable phenomenon.
The members present in the meeting with one voice suggested that since the administration has not bothered to look into the grievances of the consumers regarding excessive billing with smart meters, Jammu Bandh is the only solution to highlight their genuine demands and are ready to shut down business establishments for indefinite period.
The CCI members authorized president Arun Gupta to take any decision including announcing Jammu Bandh at an appropriate time. Besides the office bearers namely Rajeev Gupta (junior vice president), Manish Gupta (secretary general), Rajesh Gupta (secretary) and Rajesh Gupta (treasurer), presidents and general secretaries of more than 100 associations were also present in the meeting.
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