Bizarre, power consumers detain TSECL staff, protesting exorbitant bill

By Our Correspondent

Khowai, January 7, 2026

In a bizarre incident symptomatic of a deeper malaise, a group of people-all power consumers-registered their protest against the installation of so-called ‘Smart Metres’ by detaining the staff of Tripura State Electrical Corporation Limited (TSECL) in Khowai. The bizarre incident happened today in Uttar Chebri Sachindra Nagar area where people had been seething in anger over the bill-reading produced by smart metres.

Sources from Khowai said that a few days ago smart metres had been installed in a number of house-holds in the Sachindra Nagar area. Jagadish Rudrapaul, a resident of the area also had a smart metre installed in his house. Jagadish Rudrapaul discovered to his horror this morning that his monthly bill had come to several thousand for the past month even though he uses only two bulbs in his house. Fuming with rage Jagadish Rudrapaul had brought this to the notice of his neighbours who also had smart metre installed.

Sources said that this morning a few staff members of TSAECL arrived at the Uttar Chebri Sachindra Nagar area to install smart metres in more households but the people came out in protest and gheraod the TSECL staff insisting that the smart metres already installed be replaced by old and ‘good’ metres. Even as the staff members remained in detention information had reached the local TSECL office and a number of officers and employees reached the spot of detention. They spoke to the local people and assured them that they will look into the matter and see if the some metres could be replaced by old metres. After receiving assurances of consideration by the TSECL officers, the local people let go of the detained TSECL staff. There is resentment in many parts of the state over the billing system of the smart metres but so far the Corporation has desisted from taking any remedial action.

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