Agartala: July 17: Angry over steep hikes in electricity bills, flood-affected women from Bejimara village in Tripura’s Sepahijala district staged a protest on Thursday outside the Sonamura Electricity Office, demanding immediate intervention by the state government and Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath.
Raising slogans and holding their old and new bills in hand, the residents submitted a mass deputation calling for the removal of Smart Meters installed in their homes. The protesters alleged that the new meters have caused electricity bills to skyrocket — from an average of ₹200 per month to over ₹2,000 — despite minimal usage limited to just two lights and two fans per household.
“We are flood-affected and can barely manage two meals a day. These inflated bills are unjust. How can we survive like this?” questioned one of the women leading the protest.
The residents blamed the power department for a lack of transparency and failure to address billing grievances. They demanded accountability from the minister and warned of intensified agitation if their concerns were ignored.
In their deputation to the Senior Manager of Sonamura Electrical Sub-Division, the protesters outlined key demands: immediate removal of Smart Meters and a return to conventional meters, cancellation of the increased power charges, repair of damaged power lines causing frequent outages, correction of recurring billing errors, and special concessions for financially struggling consumers.
The demonstrators said they were prepared to live without electricity rather than continue paying “unjust and unexplained” bills. The protest highlights growing discontent in rural Tripura over the Smart Meter rollout, especially in economically vulnerable and disaster-affected communities.
