Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman alleges that consumers in Tripura are being pressured to install smart meters even as Union Power Minister Manohar Lal recently said in Parliament that prepaid electricity smart meters are optional.
Quick Glance
- Union Power Minister Manohar Lal said smart meters are optional, Sudip claims.
- The clarification came in the Lok Sabha on April 2, 2026.
- The Centre says prepaid meters can improve bill collection.
- Lal cited nearly Rs 7 lakh crore in power distribution losses.
- Sudip Roy Barman alleges pressure on Tripura consumers.
- The Congress MLA has demanded relief for electricity consumers.
Agartala August 09: Sudip Roy Barman hit out at the State Power department on the issue of the smart meters instalation. He cited statement of the Union Power Minister and said, the Centre has clarified that prepaid electricity smart meters are not mandatory for consumers. Roy Barman, however, has alleged that consumers in Tripura are facing pressure to install them. The contrasting positions have triggered a fresh debate over smart meter installation and power billing in the state.
What Union Minister Says about Smart Meters
According to Newsonair (AIR News), Union Power Minister Manohar Lal clarified the Centre’s position in the Lok Sabha on April 2, 2026. Lal made the statement on Smart Meters during Question Hour while responding to supplementary questions.
The minister said consumers are free to choose prepaid smart meters. He made it clear that the system is not compulsory for all consumers.
Lal also said consumers can benefit if they opt for prepaid smart meters. He added that the system can also help state governments and power distribution companies.
Several states have already installed smart prepaid meters, the minister said.
Most importantly, Lal said prepaid smart meters are not being imposed forcibly on consumers.
His clarification puts the choice with consumers.
Why the Centre Wants Prepaid Smart Meters
The Union government has linked prepaid smart meters with better electricity bill collection.
Lal said power distribution companies are facing losses of nearly Rs 7 lakh crore.
He argued that prepaid systems can help address the problem.
The minister also claimed that distribution companies in areas where prepaid systems have been introduced have eliminated their losses and moved into profit.
The government therefore sees prepaid smart meters as a tool to improve revenue collection.
However, the minister’s statement has raised a different question in Tripura.
If the system is optional, why do consumers in the state feel that they have no choice?
Sudip Roy Barman Questions Tripura’s Approach
Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman has raised precisely this question.
He alleged that people in Tripura were earlier told that smart meters had to be installed.
Roy Barman said the Centre’s latest clarification contradicts the impression being created among consumers in the state.
“Earlier, we were told that smart meters had to be installed,” he said.
He pointed to the Union minister’s Lok Sabha statement and stressed that smart meters are optional, not mandatory.
According to Roy Barman, consumers should be allowed to continue with their existing electricity system if they do not want prepaid smart meters.
He alleged that the situation in Tripura is different.
The Congress MLA claimed that consumers are facing pressure to accept smart meters despite the Centre’s stated position.
Power Bills Add to Consumer Concerns
Roy Barman also linked the smart meter controversy with the wider financial pressure on households.
He said people are struggling with declining incomes and rising prices.
Essential commodities have become more expensive, he said. At the same time, the purchasing power of consumers continues to fall.
Against this backdrop, higher or disputed electricity bills can add another burden on families.
“People have no income. People have no employment. Prices of essential commodities are rising,” Roy Barman said.
He questioned where ordinary people would go if they faced pressure from multiple directions.
Call for Government Intervention
Roy Barman also criticised the state government’s response to public protests over electricity-related issues.
He said Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha should have intervened when people began protesting at different places.
According to the Congress MLA, the Chief Minister should have called the Power Minister for discussions.
The focus, he said, should have been on providing relief to consumers.
Roy Barman argued that the government must listen to public grievances before the situation worsens.
Electricity Employees Also Under Pressure, Claims MLA
The Congress MLA also raised concerns about electricity department employees.
He claimed that employees working in various offices were living under pressure.
According to him, officials fear that growing public anger could eventually be directed at them.
Roy Barman said the government should address the root cause of the anger instead of allowing the situation to reach government offices and field-level employees.
He stressed that the issue is not about whether the government is on the “back foot” or “front foot”.
“The demand is to provide relief to the people,” he said.
Wider Burden on Ordinary People
Roy Barman also referred to alleged collection targets involving auto-rickshaw workers.
He claimed that traffic authorities were imposing revenue targets and that workers were facing penalties and fines.
He linked this issue with rising electricity costs and the increasing prices of daily essentials.
According to the Congress MLA, these pressures are affecting ordinary people across different sections.
He accused the government of effectively taking money out of people’s pockets through multiple charges and penalties.
Centre’s Clarification vs Tripura Reality: Enewstime Desk Perspective
The smart meter debate now presents a clear contrast. The Union Power Minister says consumers have a choice. The Centre also argues that prepaid meters can improve bill collection and reduce losses of power distribution companies.
In Tripura, however, Roy Barman alleges that consumers are being pushed towards the system despite that choice.
The key issue, therefore, is not simply whether prepaid smart meters can improve power-sector finances. It is whether consumers in Tripura are actually being given the choice that the Union government says they have.
The controversy is likely to remain a major consumer issue in the state as concerns over electricity bills, smart meters and household expenses continue to grow. With reported resentment growing among the consumers, the Chief Minister, State Power Minister and the TSECL need to listen to grievances and allegations and resolve the issues rather than simply issuing statements.
