Patna, Sep 25 (PTI) Alleging that electricity bills of consumers have increased four to five times in smart prepaid electric meters, the opposition RJD on Wednesday announced that the party would stage protests across the state on October 1 against installation of such devices.

RJD workers will hold protests outside block offices across the state on that day, the party's state president Jagdanand Singh told reporters.

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“The government has been forcibly installing smart prepaid electric meters to benefit private power companies. Electricity bills have surged four to five folds, causing heavy financial strain on consumers. We will not allow this to happen,” Singh said.

He demanded that the government immediately stop installing these meters so that people can get respite.

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“A third-party review committee should also be constituted to examine the relevance of smart meters. It's simply extortion of the public by private power companies with support of the Nitish Kumar government,” the RJD leader said.

Governments in several states did not allow installation of smart electric meters, Singh said adding that the Bihar government has set a deadline that installing smart devices in all districts would be completed by March 2025.

“How can the government think of installing these meters in Bihar where the monthly income of 35 per cent of families is not more than Rs 6,000? It was revealed in the caste survey report conducted by the Bihar government recently,” said the RJD leader.

The caste survey also revealed that the monthly income of 30 per cent of families is not more than Rs 10,000, he said.

“It is sheer injustice with the people in Bihar where 70 per cent of people in rural areas don't have smartphones,” said Singh.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)