Himachal: Kisan Sabha condemns smart meter initiative

Himachal Pradesh: The district committee of Himachal Kisan Sabha took a strong stand against the government’s smart meter initiative in Sirmaur, terming the policy a direct attack on farmers, labourers and poor families. During the protest, the Sabha representatives submitted a memorandum to the Superintending Engineer of Sirmaur Vidyut Board demanding immediate withdrawal of the scheme. The Sabha leaders stressed that smart meters will put an additional financial burden on already cash-strapped families, making it difficult for the poor to buy electricity.

They warned that this will also harm agriculture, as power consumption for irrigation and other agricultural activities will become expensive, affecting overall productivity. Accusing the government of favouring big power distribution companies, the Kisan Sabha called the move a deliberate attempt to push towards privatisation of power services. They argued that snatching control of such an essential service from the government is a betrayal of public interest.