AGARTALA: Former Power Minister Manik Dey launched a sharp critique against the state government regarding the widespread installation of smart meters, recent electricity tariff hikes, and the growing involvement of private companies in Tripura’s power sector.

Addressing a press conference at Melarmath, Dey stated that public discontent and complaints regarding power meters were non-existent during the Left Front regime. He highlighted that during their tenure, the state’s own power utility held full responsibility for installing, maintaining, and replacing electricity meters.

According to Dey, the situation took a turn after 2018 under the central government’s initiative to roll out smart meters nationwide through private contractors. “The primary complaint from consumers centers on the significant discrepancy between the readings of old and new meters,” he said, alleging that citizens are forced to pay inflated bills without receiving clear or satisfactory explanations from authorities.

Dey further questioned the efficacy of the technical committee formed to address public grievances on smart meter anomalies. He cautioned that increasing privatization will weaken the state’s power infrastructure and ultimately pass an unsustainable financial burden onto general consumers.