Khalikote:The replacement of power metrers with smart meters forcibly by TPSODL has often led to unpleasant situations in Ganjam district.Despite assurences of unintrupted power supply,power disruption is a regular feature in the district.While it has irked the consumers,forcibly replacement of meters and disconnection of power supply to the consumers without prior intimation has fueled the public anger.Today,a TPSODL staff sustained serious injuries after he was reportedly attacked by a consumer in Bikrampur under Khallikote PS in the district.The injured,identified as Ankit Chaurasia,with a group of TPSODL staffs was attacked during meter check in Bikrampur village.Sources said,while Ankit was on a meter inspection duty and was verifying the functionality of the existing electric meter,the house owner suddenly attacked him with a bamboo lathi.As a result of which Ankit recived bleeding injuries on his head.He was admitted to Khalikote hospital and now stable and out of danger, said hospital sources.Meanwhile a case has been registered and an investigation initiated,said police.While TPSODL is transitioning to smart meters for various benefits like improved energy management and reduced losses,the changeover process and the potential impact on consumers have raised question.The consumers,whose old meters replaced by smart meters,claimed that the consumption of power shows more than the previous.Two days back four TPSODL staffs were detained for several hours at Boripadar village under Digapahandi PS limits.Power supply to several houses of BPL families in the village was disconnected last month for non-payment of power charges.Once the four staffs reached the village to fix smart meters,the families,whose power supply was disonnected,reached there and detained the staffs.The families said ,power supply was given to them under Kutir Jyoti yojona.However,insted of monthly bill,they were given bills for more than a year,which was not possible on the part of the families to pay at a time.They repeatedly approched the local TPSODL authorities to allow them for part payment and to restore power supply,but to no avail.The aggrieved families released the four TPSODL staffs following reconnection of power supply to their houses,following intervention of local sarapanch Manoranjan gouda and Digapahandi police.
