Revolutionary Youth Association (RYA) organized Bihar-wide demonstrations against harassing consumers through electricity bills. and with the demand of free electricity up to 200 units, banning prepaid meters, settling inflated electricity bills through special camps at the Panchayat level and other demands. Demonstrations were organized at the electricity offices of various districts in the state.
In Ara, hundreds of youths marched from Veer Kunwar Singh University to Executive Engineer office of Electricity Department. Addressing the protestors speakers said that Modi govt is discriminating with the electricity consumers of Bihar. It is giving Bihar electricity at higher rates. Bihar is also getting short supply of 2000 MW from Central pool. This is when BJP MP from Ara R.K. Singh is Power Minister in Central Government.
It was pointed out that electricity consumers are being over-charged due to faulty pre-paid meters. The inflated bills are not being rectified on time while there is disruption in power supply due to damaged poles, wires, switches and problems with transformers. The open wire is resulting in civilians and animals deaths due to electrocution in many incidents. But the officers of electricity department are only concerned with recovery of bills, not concerned about ensuring regular power supply and addressing the complaints of consumers. From the time smart meters were installed the problem with billing has increased manifold. Even those who don’t have major power appliances at home are getting bills worth thousands of rupees.
RYA demanded that Bihar should also get free power upto 200 units and harassment of consumers through inflated bills should stop. Special camps should be organised at Panchayat levels to resolve issues of billing, power cuts and low voltage. The infrastructure of wiring and transformers should also be streamlined.
Similar protest was organized in Paliganj where protestors locked the gates of electricity office, SDO was forced to listen to protestors. The SDO accepted the local demands of replacement of non-functional transformers within a week and to forward rest of demands to State govt. Protests were also organized in Darbhanga, Siwan, Samastipur and other places in Bihar.
