Protest against installation of prepaid meters

Excelsior Correspondent

ARNIA, Aug 20: Residents of Arnia today staged a protest demonstration against the installation of smart power meters in their locality.
The protesters, mainly women, expressed resentment against the installation of smart meters saying they are unable to afford hefty bills generated by such meters owing to their poor financial conditions.
“Our income is very low. As majority of people in our area work as salesmen, laborers or roadside vendors and we barely manage to pay school fees of our children,” a protesting woman said.
The protesters said that Power Development Department (PDD) should either disconnect their power connections or stop installation of smart meters.
They said that they will prefer to rely on traditional means for daily needs instead of dealing with unaffordable electricity bills.
Jeet Raj, Municipal Councillor Arnia, Ward number 11 said, “If people in Kashmir did not allow installation of smart meters there, why are these meters being forced on Jammu”.