Bihar: Bettiah Faces Prepaid Meter Installation Challenges as Deadline Approaches

BETTIAH – Installing prepaid electricity meters in homes is proving to be a challenge for the electricity department in Bihar. A deadline of December 25 has been set for this task in Bettiah, West Champaran. Under this, electricity needs to be provided through these meters in thousands of homes. Currently, departmental officers are being summoned with the help of the police for this work.

In every home in Bettiah city, there will now be a prepaid electricity meter. In this direction, departmental arrangements have been initiated. As a target, 10,400 homes in urban areas (Town Two) have been taken. A deadline has been set for this until the upcoming December 25. The responsibility for this has been given to a security agency. Out of the 10,400 homes, the agency has installed prepaid meters in approximately 6,200 homes.

There are some consumers remaining who are resisting the installation of prepaid meters. For such consumers, a team from the electricity department, along with the police, is going to their locations, and meter installation is being carried out.

It should be noted that combining Town One and Town Two, there are approximately 48,000 consumers in the city. Smart prepaid meters have been installed in over 34,000 households.

After the formation of the municipal corporation, the villages of the panchayats that have been included in the city are also getting prepaid meters installed. However, now prepaid meters are being installed in both urban and rural areas.

A team is reaching consumers who are opposing the installation of meters along with the police.

In case people oppose the installation of meters with police assistance, meters are being installed. In the Gonauli village on Monday, meters were installed in a dozen homes with police assistance.

If prepaid meters are not installed, electricity will be disrupted.

Officials of the electricity department have stated that by December 25, prepaid meters will be installed in 100% of homes in the city. Homes without prepaid meters will face a disruption in electricity supply.

Since January 2024, electricity supply in urban areas will be provided only through prepaid meters. Therefore, homes without prepaid meters will have their electricity automatically cut off.