BJD hits the street, demands withdrawal of Additional Security Deposit and forceful installation of smart metres

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Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) today hit the street demanding withdrawal of Additional Security Deposit (ASD) and stoppage of forcible installation of smart metres.

The youth wing of the BJD today staged a demonstration outside the TPCODL (Tata Power) office in Bhubaneswar demanding immediate withdrawal of the company’s decision for collecting additional security deposit from the consumers and forceful installation of smart metres.

Some veteran leaders of the conch party also were seen joining the protest and raising slogans against Tata Power /TPCODL. They also threatened to intensify the protest and hit the street across the state if their demands are not fulfilled at the earliest possible time.

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As a mark of protest, the BJD leaders and workers broke several smart metre at the protesting site. Later, a delegation submitted a memorandum to the Chairperson of Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC), Bhubaneswar, putting forth the following demands:

• The Additional Security Deposit (ASD) demand notices issued by Tata Power /TPCODL be withdrawn forthwith, as they impose an unjust and additional financial burden on the general public.
• The forceful installation of smart meters be immediately stopped, and no consumer be compelled to accept a smart meter until concerns about inflated billing, transparency, and meter accuracy are satisfactorily addressed.
• The existing tariff be reviewed with a view to providing relief and relaxation to common consumers, particularly in the backdrop of mounting public grievances regarding over-billing and additional charges.

“We demand that the Commission will treat this as an urgent public interest issue and take immediate and appropriate legal and regulatory action on the above demands, so as to restore public confidence and protect the rights of electricity consumers in Odisha,” read the memorandum of the conch party.

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