Consumers demand suspension of prepaid power meter installation

Power consumers under Dhaka Power Distribution Company Ltd (DPDC) on Sunday demanded the authorities concerned to suspend the installation of prepaid meters saying the system is ‘unfair’.

Addressing a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club, leaders of Pre-paid Meter Connection Resisting Committee (PMCRC) alleged the operation of prepaid meters is unfair and non-transparent as the DPDC has been realising huge money without showing any proper reasons.

“We’re fed up with the prepaid meters as there’s no transparency in its operation by the DPDC,” Baharane Sultan Baharan, Joint Secretary General of the PMCRC, told reporters.

PMCRC President Haji Md Shahjahan, Secretary General Mohammad Yeasmin and other leaders also spoke on the occasion.

They said the DPDC has been deducting Tk 40 per month as prepaid meter rent but it is not clear how long they will continue to deduct money.

Secondly, they said, it is not clear how much of electricity a consumer will be able to consume once he or she recharges Tk 1,000, they said.

They also alleged in the case of getting an emergency balance of Tk 200, the DPDC has been charging Tk 50 as interest.

The leaders claimed that the DPDC has also been charging Tk 200 against master meter per month which is also unfair as the consumers bought such meter at their own cost.

The PMCRC leaders said they will move court to file a writ against the operation of prepaid meters if the DPDC does not stop its installation. They said the DPDC top officials were apprised of the issues during their public hearing.

“But they’ve failed to resolve the problems,” said Haji Md Shahjahan.

He mentioned that the power consumers in different districts, including Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Gazipur, Sunamganj and Khulna, have already held rallies to protest the ‘unfair and non-transparent’ system of prepaid meters.