Kisan Sabha slams smart meter initiative

Mounting resentment against the government’s smart meter initiative surfaced in Sirmaur as the Himachal Kisan Sabha’s district committee took a firm stand, branding the policy a direct attack on farmers, labourers and poor families. The protest saw Sabha representatives submit a memorandum to the Superintendent Engineer of the Sirmaur Electricity Board, demanding immediate withdrawal of the scheme.

The Sabha leaders asserted that smart meters would impose an additional financial burden on already struggling households, making electricity unaffordable for the poor. They cautioned that agriculture too would suffer, as power consumed for irrigation and other farm activities would become costlier, threatening overall productivity.

Accusing the government of siding with big power distribution companies, the Kisan Sabha described the move as a calculated attempt to push electricity services towards privatisation. They argued that shifting control of such an essential service away from the government amounted to a betrayal of public interest.