{"id":4985,"date":"2025-12-11T02:31:11","date_gmt":"2025-12-11T02:31:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thefrontpage24.com\/?p=4985"},"modified":"2025-12-11T02:34:43","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T02:34:43","slug":"congress-alleges-smart-meter-scam-in-chhattisgarh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thefrontpage24.com\/?p=4985","title":{"rendered":"Congress Alleges \u2018Smart Meter Scam\u2019 in Chhattisgarh"},"content":{"rendered":"

TFP Bureau, Raipur, December 11, 2025: The Chhattisgarh Congress on Tuesday accused the BJP-led state government of burdening electricity consumers through repeated tariff hikes, reduced subsidies and the compulsory installation of smart meters. Addressing the media, State Congress Committee senior spokesperson Surendra Verma alleged that the government is \u201clooting the public\u201d under the guise of power sector reforms.<\/p>\n

Verma claimed that over the past two years, electricity tariffs have been increased four times while the benefit of subsidised consumption\u2014earlier available up to 400 units\u2014has been restricted to 200 units. He further alleged that if consumption crosses 400 units, all subsidies and concessions are entirely withdrawn, resulting in sharply inflated bills for households.<\/p>\n

\u2018Smart meters running faster than normal\u2019: Congress<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Congress spokesperson alleged widespread complaints from consumers that smart meters\u2014now being installed across the state\u2014are recording consumption far higher than actual usage. \u201cPeople are reporting that smart meters are running much faster than normal meters. This appears to be a planned way to extract more money from the common public,\u201d Verma said.<\/p>\n

He argued that consumers have the right to know their true electricity consumption and that the existing provision for check meters was sufficient to address any dispute. However, the state government recently introduced a fee of \u20b91,000 to \u20b91,500 for installation and testing of check meters\u2014an action that Verma described as an attempt to \u201ccover up irregularities.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf a consumer complains about a faulty meter, the verification must be done free of cost. Imposing a fee is completely unjustified and intended to discourage complaints,\u201d he said, demanding that the government immediately withdraw the newly introduced charges.<\/p>\n

\u2018Smart meters imposed without consent\u2019\"\"<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Verma also accused the state\u2019s power company of violating consumer rights by replacing conventional meters with smart meters without obtaining mandatory consent. \u201cElectricity supply operates under a formal agreement. Consumers must be consulted before any change in metering, but smart meters have been forcibly imposed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

According to the Congress, the result has been an alarming rise in electricity bills\u2014often several times higher than earlier average consumption\u2014triggering distress among common households. Verma alleged that instead of addressing concerns, the government and the power company are \u201cadamant\u201d and attempting to hide irregularities by introducing additional charges.<\/p>\n

Congress demands rollback<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Calling the meter-testing fee an \u201cunfair and anti-consumer decision,\u201d the Congress demanded its immediate rollback and insisted that meter checks be conducted free of charge wherever consumers allege that smart meters are functioning improperly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe BJP government seems determined to extract money from citizens at every step,\u201d Verma said, adding that the party will continue to raise the issue until corrective action is taken.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Party accuses government of overcharging consumers; demands withdrawal of meter-testing fee<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4987,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[116,149,33],"tags":[122,826],"class_list":["post-4985","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news","category-congress","category-politics","tag-inc-chhattishgarh","tag-smart-meter"],"yoast_head":"\nCongress Alleges \u2018Smart Meter Scam\u2019 in Chhattisgarh - thefrontpage24.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/thefrontpage24.com\/?p=4985\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Congress Alleges \u2018Smart Meter Scam\u2019 in Chhattisgarh - 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