Farmers protest smart meters, Electricity Amendment Bill

Scores of farmers, under the banner of a joint action committee of the Kisan Union, staged a protest in Ludhiana on Thursday, opposing the replacement of traditional electricity meters with smart meters and expressing concern over the Electricity Amendment Bill. The demonstrators demanded printed bills instead of digital notifications and rejected what they called “corporate-driven changes” in

power infrastructure.

Addressing the gathering, Kisan Union leader Dilbagh Singh said, “The smart chip meters are not farmer-friendly. They threaten transparency and impose a technological burden on rural consumers who rely on basic systems. We will not allow our power rights to be corporatised.”

The protesters also raised objections to the Electricity Amendment Bill, claiming it would hand undue control of the electricity sector to private players. “If this bill is passed, corporate interests will dictate power supply and rates. Farmers will lose their bargaining power,” added Dilbagh.

Kisan Union members also pressed for revised load enhancement fees. Baldev Singh, another senior leader, demanded, “The fee for increasing load should be capped at Rs 1,000 per horse power. Farmers are already under financial burden and electricity must remain accessible.”

Many farmers echoed concerns over billing methods, insisting printed bills were essential for transparency and verification. Rajinder Kaur, a dairy farmer from Machhiwara, shared, “We don’t want bills to be sent on mobile phones. Network issues and technical errors complicate things. A printed bill gives clarity and helps us keep a record.”

The Kisan Union has warned that if their demands are ignored, they will escalate the agitation across the state, with district-level demonstrations planned in the coming weeks.

Ludhiana