A multi-party protest against smart-meter installations and alleged increases in electricity bills will be held on September 7 at Shirsad Phata in Vasai-Virar, with organisers planning to block the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway, according to a report by Loksatta – Vasai-Virar published on September 3.
The protest follows complaints from residents that electricity bills have risen sharply, in some cases allegedly doubling, after Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (Mahavitaran) replaced older meters with new smart meters. Residents have also objected to the replacement of meters without what they describe as prior permission from consumers.
The decision to hold the highway blockade was taken at an all-party meeting chaired by Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation Mayor Ajiv Patil on Wednesday. Leaders and workers from several political organisations, including the Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction), Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and Lal Bavta, attended the meeting, the report said.
The proposed protest site is near K. T. Resort at Shirsad Phata. Organisers said they would submit a memorandum to senior Mahavitaran officials during the demonstration and demand that the decision to install the smart meters be withdrawn immediately. The planned blockade could affect traffic on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway, although the report did not provide details about the expected duration, traffic diversion arrangements or police permissions.
Mayor Ajiv Patil said residents were distressed by what they considered inflated electricity bills after the smart-meter installations. He said political parties had united to oppose Mahavitaran’s alleged arbitrary actions and to seek government intervention on behalf of consumers.
Kiran Chendvankar, district organiser of the women’s wing of the Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray faction, said high bills were making it difficult for working-class and middle-class households with limited incomes to manage their expenses. She appealed to local women to participate in the protest.
Congress general secretary Dr Dinesh Kamble said residents were strongly dissatisfied with the smart meters and alleged that meters were being replaced without consent while consumers were receiving excessive bills. He said protesters would hold the road blockade on September 7 and publicly oppose the installations.
The report did not include a response from Mahavitaran on the allegations of unauthorised replacement, higher consumption readings or increased bills. It also did not state how many smart meters have been installed in Vasai-Virar, whether the installations are part of a wider programme, or whether the utility has announced a review of disputed bills. The next stated step is the planned memorandum to senior Mahavitaran officials during the September 7 protest.
