CPI(M) stages a protest against smart meters in Vijayawada

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) staged a protest against the installation of smart meters in residential houses, in front of the Electricity Department office near Gandhi Hill in Old Town of Vijayawada on Tuesday. The protest, led by CPI(M) State secretariat member Ch. Babu Rao and Corporator Boyi Satyababu, accused the alliance government of betraying public trust by continuing smart meter installations despite earlier assurances to halt them.

Mr. Babu Rao alleged that the Adani company staff, accompanied by Electricity Department personnel, have reportedly tried to replace working meters in Durgapuram, Ayodhya Nagar, and nearby areas, under the false pretences of faulty meters.

After the residents resisted, joined by CPI(M) activists, and blocked the installations, Adani personnel were forced to withdraw and remove the meters already fixed, he said. The CPI(M) leaders later visited affected homes and submitted a petition at the Madhuranagar Electricity Office demanding a complete halt to smart meter installations.

At the Gandhi Hill protest site, demonstrators held placards and raised slogans accusing the government of deceiving the public.

Mr. Babu Rao said that the alliance government has broken its promise on smart meters. “When in opposition, TDP leaders urged people to destroy smart meters; now they promote the same. This is a betrayal of public trust,” he said. Rao also accused the Narendra Modi-led government of pushing Adani’s interests by amending the Electricity Act to enable privatisation.

Terming prepaid metering “deceptive,” he warned that CPI(M) would intensify a State-wide agitation if the government continued installation of smart meters.