Tura, Oct 20, 2026::The electricity bills raising after the installation of smart meters has become a serious concern for residents across Garo Hills. From rural households to urban families, including the Below the Poverty Line (BPL), consumers are struggling to cope with what they describe as unusually high electricity bills.

The situation raises serious questions about the functioning of smart meters, the accuracy of the billing system, and the impact of privatisation on ordinary consumers, said Bernard Marak.

The government must explain why electricity bills become a heavy burden on families, particularly those whose incomes are barely sufficient to meet their daily necessities. Electricity is an essential public service, not a luxury that should become unaffordable for the poor. When even BPL families are finding it difficult to pay their power bills, the authorities cannot simply dismiss their grievances Marak added.

The forced installation of smart meters in many areas, followed by complaints of soaring bills, demands an independent and transparent investigation. The government must establish whether the meters are accurately recording consumption, whether billing calculations are correct, and whether consumers are being charged fairly. Every complaint must be examined, and defective meters, if identified, must be replaced without imposing additional financial burdens on consumers.

The growing public concern also brings the question of electricity privatisation into sharp focus. The privatisation of essential public services must not become a means of making easy profit and shifting the burden of inefficiency, questionable billing practices, or operational failures onto ordinary citizens. Electricity supply is a basic necessity and the government cannot escape its responsibility to protect consumers merely because private entities are involved in its distribution or management.

At a time when the government has failed to ensure the timely payment of various honorariums, salaries, bills and pension benefits to many deserving beneficiaries, the public is being confronted with electricity bills that are becoming increasingly difficult to afford. Daily-wage earners, low-income households, pensioners and BPL families cannot be expected to shoulder mounting expenses while their own legitimate dues remain unpaid.

This is not merely a question of high electricity bills, it is a question of accountability, transparency, and governance.

The government must immediately review the performance of smart meters and the entire electricity billing system, including the impact of privatisation on tariff determination, consumer protection, and grievance redressal. An independent technical audit should be conducted wherever serious billing discrepancies are reported. Until complaints are properly investigated, consumers should not be subjected to harassment or arbitrary disconnection over genuinely disputed bills.

Marak demands that the government, conduct an independent audit of smart meters and investigate complaints of excessive billing across Garo Hills.Publish clear billing information, explaining meter readings, electricity consumption, applicable tariffs, and additional charges. Provide an accessible grievance-redressal mechanism** and ensure timely correction of erroneous bills.

Protect BPL families and economically vulnerable consumers** from unfair billing practices and ensure that applicable concessions reach eligible households.
Review the privatisation policy and its consequences for electricity tariffs, service quality, accountability, and the rights of consumers. Fix responsibility for proven irregularities** and take appropriate action against any agency or official found responsible.

The government must remember that development cannot be measured merely by installing new technology or handing public services over to private operators. Real development means making essential services reliable, transparent, and affordable for every citizen.

If smart meters are intended to improve efficiency and ensure accurate billing, the government must demonstrate that they are actually serving that purpose. Technology must empower consumers, not turn into another source of financial hardship.

The people of Garo Hills deserve answers, not excuses. The government must put consumers before commercial interests and ensure that electricity remains an affordable public necessity rather than an unbearable burden on ordinary families.