A large group of outraged electricity consumers staged a protest against the installation of prepaid meters, surrounding the Northern Electricity Supply Company (NESCO) office in Rangpur on Sunday.
The demonstration, led by the General Electricity Consumer Forum, began with a human chain at Shapla Chattar and culminated in a confrontation outside NESCO's main office at Khama Morh.
The protesters demanded an immediate halt to the installation of the prepaid meters, accusing NESCO of misappropriating Tk 15,000 crore, which was intended for the procurement of low-quality meters. They also called for accountability from those responsible for the alleged corruption and for the interim government's energy and power advisors to intervene.
According to the protestors, during the previous government, a substantial amount of 26,000 crore taka had been allocated for the purchase of prepaid meters, but a significant portion of this budget was reportedly embezzled. The protesters alleged that these faulty meters were being imposed on consumers, resulting in illegal monthly charges. The additional costs associated with the new meters, such as rental fees, surcharges, and agent commissions, were further burdensome for the public.
The protestors highlighted the challenges posed by the prepaid meter system, including unclear pricing, difficulties in recharging, and the absence of alternative solutions in case of server malfunctions. They also expressed concern over the potential loss of jobs for thousands of workers in the electricity department, as the system could lead to the outsourcing of operations.
In addition to the prepaid meter issue, the protestors condemned the government's repeated hikes in electricity prices which they believed were draining public funds due to corrupt rental power projects. They demanded that NESCO suspend the installation of prepaid meters and take consumer interests into account before moving forward with such decisions.
NESCO's executive engineer, Golam Hossain, declined to comment on the protest. However, sources within the company mentioned that a public hearing would be arranged to discuss the issue. These sources acknowledged the benefits of prepaid meters but noted that public dissatisfaction stemmed from a lack of clarity and proper usage information.
This protest follows a five-point demand issued by the City Residents' Committee on January 9 and a series of similar demonstrations in December.
Despite the public outcry and calls for a public hearing, prepaid meter installations continue, leaving consumer concerns unresolved.
