RJD to protest against smart meters from October 1

RJD protests against smart meter installation in Bihar, alleging corruption and inflated bills, demanding government intervention.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) will launch a protest march from October 1 across all block headquarters in Bihar against the installation of smart meters, the party said. 

Alleging corruption in the State’s Energy Department, Bihar RJD’s State unit president Jagdanand Singh said that smart meters are being installed to “benefit private companies” which have “paid money” to the government and the bureaucrats.

Mr. Singh demanded that in the “interest of villages, poor and general public”, the Bihar government should stop the installation of these meters.

“The installation of smart meters is going on since 2019. By March 2025, all consumers have been asked to install these meters. This was a well-planned move by the government. It disintegrated the Bihar State Electricity Board for the benefit of private companies,” Mr. Singh said.

Lashing out at the State government, Mr. Singh said officials are “forcibly installing” smart meters at the behest of private companies. He said these firms have made an agreement with North Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited to install 58 lakh smart meters.

Last week, the Chairman and Managing Director of the Bihar State Power Holding Company Limited Pankaj Kumar Pal asked officials to expedite the installation of prepaid meters.

Mr. Singh said consumers using smart meters are getting “inflated bills”. “Power supply to the houses of poor families is being snapped if they fail to recharge the meter,” Mr. Singh said.