DIMAPUR, AUGUST 28 (MExN): The Dimapur Urban Council Chairmen Federation (DUCCF) and GB Union Dimapur (S) (GBUD) have submitted a representation to the Deputy Commissioner of Dimapur informing their decision to “opt out of the installation of prepaid electric meter system in the present arrangement” in Dimapur urban areas.
The organisations held a meeting on August 14 and conducted a deliberation on the advantages/disadvantages in respect of the prepaid electric meter system installation by the Power Department within Dimapur urban areas. The meeting concluded that in the present juncture the prepaid electric meter is more of disadvantages both in terms of practicability and technicality.
The two organisations pointed out that as per the Central/State Government directive, all government department offices, industrial set ups and commercial establishment within Dimapur should be connected with the prepaid meter system which consumes major chunk of electricity supply.
The installation of digital meter postpaid billing system has been proved very affective showing accuracy on power consumption which is non-manipulative (non-tampering) contrasting the manual meter system, the representation noted.
“When the common people have accepted the digital postpaid meter bill paying system through online/offline, what triggered the sudden policy of bringing in prepaid system which is not at all in the interest and welfare of the people, rather promoting the interest of the private contract system,” it reasoned.
It further argued that prepaid meters “pave the way for privitisation, which the system lends itself to be captured by a private company for profits only and not in the interests of affordable, reliable and sustainable electricity access for common people by and large.”
“The idea is pushing the system to neoliberalism, a policy model that encompasses both politics and economics which favors private enterprise and seeks to transfer the control of economic factors from the government to the private sector, making it absolutely against the interest of the general people,” the representation added.
