Consumers protest in front of MSEDCL office in Sambhajinagar against installation of smart meters
MSEDCL
.
Protesters said these new Time of Day (TOD) meters will inflict an additional financial burden on consumers.
"Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co Ltd (MSEDCL) has appointed people to install these so-called 'smart' meters without our consent. The meters do not show real-time consumption data to date as promised by the state power utility. We fear that it will inflate our monthly power bills in days to come," Prashant Beedkar, a consumer, told TOI.
Gathered in front of the office of the joint managing director of MSEDCL on Wednesday, protesters raised slogans against state govt and demanded a stay on the installation of smart meters.
Local CPI (M) leader Abhay Taksal, who led the protest, claimed a few large corporate houses in India have bagged the contract for smart meters.
He said, "There are several hidden terms and conditions associated with the installation of smart meters.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
3BHK Transformation Possible for ₹4.5 Lakh?
HomeLane
Get Quote
Undo
MSEDCL is deliberately keeping consumers in the dark about these. The installation of smart meters is a larger conspiracy to privatise the power supply."
Taksal added that there is a strong possibility that the existing postpaid smart meters will become prepaid ones in days to come. "The private telecom service providers offered free internet initially and later gradually made data packages highly exorbitant in prices.
Such a tactic is bound to be repeated in the matter of power supply in Maharashtra," he alleged.
When contacted, MSEDCL authorities said false propaganda involving smart meters is being spread by certain elements. "We have not received complaints of hefty power bills from consumers who have received the smart meters. The existing postpaid nature of power bills will continue in the future too. The power tariffs are decided by the power regulator MERC, and therefore there is no scope for any arbitrary hike," the MSEDCL spokesperson for the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar zone said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Time of India
Key strength ratio signals bullish momentum for Indian markets
Mumbai: The monthly advance-decline ratio (ADR) for all BSE-listed stocks was above one in June for the fourth consecutive month. Analysts said it indicates improving investor confidence. This, amid a revival in the IPO market and broad-based buying, is expected to propel the markets to a new peak in near term. The last time the ADR was consecutively above one was between April 2023 and January 2024 for 10 consecutive months. "The ADR remaining over one consistently is a sign that the bullish momentum is back as benchmark indices are trading above key moving averages while the mid-cap and small caps are in an upward trajectory as well," said Rajesh Palviya, head of technicals and derivatives, Axis Derivatives. "The VIX has meanwhile remained comfortable below 14." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Philippines: Affordable Refrigerators for Sale - Check Out the Prices! Refrigerators | Search Ads Search Now Undo Palviya said the overseas investors have turned buyers of Indian equities amid a revival in the IPO market and promoter stake sales - all without a significant fall in the market. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Agencies In the past four months, benchmark Nifty gained around 15% after declining 6.4% in the first two months of the year. The Nifty Mid-cap 150 and Small-cap 250 indices gained 23.6% and 28% respectively in the past four months. On the derivatives front, overseas investors reduced short positions on index futures on expiry from the peak of 1,09,471 positions to 38,123 positions which leaves room for short squeeze. Live Events "The foreign investors remain short on the market and haven't reduced their positions significantly yet," said Rohit Srivastava, founder, "Short covering on that front could be a trigger for the markets that pushes it higher." Srivastava said the bullish momentum indicated by consistently positive ADR is likely to support benchmark Nifty to all time high especially since July has been a strong month historically for the markets. Overseas investors turned buyers of Indian equities in March after selling shares worth ₹1.46 lakh crore. "The market has absorbed the negatives such as Trump tariffs, India-Pak dispute and the middle eastern conflict with no major declines," said Srivastava. "In the near term, benchmark Nifty is likely to be at 26,400 levels initially and move towards 28,380 levels by December this year." Srivastava, however, said some stocks and sectors are not participating in the markets but post short-term consolidation, these stocks and sectors are expected to follow suit. Analysts said benchmark Nifty is expected to be at all time high levels in July or latest by August- as Trump is expected to soften the tariffs and the impact is likely to be limited to sectors like IT, pharma and auto may face the brunt. Palviya said benchmark Nifty is expected to be at 25,800-26,000 levels in the near term and all sectors are expected to contribute to the upmove. 'Bank Nifty is on an upward trajectory, and auto and FMCG indices are also near breakout levels while railways, chemicals, sugar and fertilisers are also inching higher which indicates that strength is returning to the street.' The delivery volumes witnessed a steady upmove since April; after peaking in March, however, analysts attributed the increase to regulations on volumes. 'The delivery volume share moved up steadily on a monthly basis, however, Sebi regulations on volumes especially for smallcap and mid-cap segment had more to do with it,' said Palviya. 'While delivery volumes moved higher, the turnover hasn't increased much.'
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Amid flood & festival work, Pujari urges officers to resume duty
1 2 Bhubaneswar: In the wake of flooding in several districts and Rath Yatra festival being underway, revenue and disaster management minister Suresh Pujari on Wednesday urged OAS and ORS officers, on 'ceasework' strike across the state protesting against the attack on BMC officer Ratnakar Sahu, to resume their duties. Administrative work has been severely affected in districts due to the protests by officers since Tuesday. Urging officers to rejoin work, Pujari said, "The incident shocked everyone, and it is highly condemnable. So far, five persons have been arrested while other accused will be arrested and produced before court. We are ready for further discussions and to resolve the issue if they want." "With floodwaters receding, assessing the damage is very important. There is a forecast for heavy rain in the coming days. Moreover, three devotees died during Rath Yatra, and there is a need to ensure the smooth conduct of the rest of events. So, I request the officers to resume work for the greater interest of the public," Pujari added. OAS Association demanded the arrest of BJP's Jagannath Pradhan for his alleged involvement in the attack. "Police are investigating the incident from all angles, and the law will take its course," Pujari added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is it better to shower in the morning or at night? Here's what a microbiologist says CNA Read More Undo The association members met the chief minister and chief secretary and submitted a memorandum. "We have full faith that the govt will give justice to our demands. After watching the attack video, most of the officers are shocked and not ready to join work unless the govt ensures their safety. Once the govt fulfils our demands, we will resume work," said Bijay Kumar Swain, secretary of the sssociation. OAS and ORS officers in the majority of the districts, including Cuttack, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Sambalpur, Bolangir, Sonepur, Rayagada, Dhenkanal, and Mayurbhanj, have gone on cease work, affecting various govt services.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
MCD nod to appoint new agency to handle waste management in Central zone
New Delhi: BJP-ruled Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has granted anticipatory approval to appoint a new expert agency for the transportation and collection of solid waste, horticultural waste, desilted waste, and the storage of hazardous waste in the Central Zone—potentially for a period of seven years. Sources indicate that the decision was prompted by criticism over delays in presenting urgent proposals—particularly those related to sanitation—in earlier standing committee meetings. A proposal for door-to-door garbage collection in the Central Zone had been pending for over two and a half years. The outgoing standing committee of the erstwhile South Corporation had flagged the issue as a priority in March 2022, just before the MCD reunification. However, no significant progress was made. The existing concessionaire was granted at least three extensions. In the West Zone, the current contract is set to expire on June 30. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi Residents of both zones have consistently raised concerns over poor sanitation services, citing irregular road sweeping and garbage collection in residential areas. Councillors complained during a House meeting that the existing concessionaires were mainly focused on tasks defined in outdated contracts. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo "Now that anticipatory approval has been granted, the proposal will be formally presented in the next standing committee meeting. Meanwhile, the new agency can begin preparing its equipment and logistics," said an MCD official. Last month, opposition parties in the MCD urged the ruling BJP to expedite the tabling of key proposals in the standing committee, especially those concerning waste management and essential civic services. The Indraprastha Vikas Party also appealed to Delhi mayor Raja Iqbal Singh and Standing Committee chairperson Satya Sharma to prioritise pending sanitation projects. Leader of the Opposition and AAP councillor Ankush Narang questioned the delay in moving critical sanitation proposals forward. "In the Central, West, and South Zones, the situation is deteriorating. There are not enough vehicles or tippers available to manage waste collection," he said. In its first standing committee meeting held last Friday—following the election of the chairperson on June 12—only 25 out of 102 proposals were approved. Most of those cleared pertained to layout plans for government infrastructure projects.
