Doomdooma: Protests against additional electricity charges and alleged irregularities in prepaid smart-meter billing were held in Upper Assam on Saturday.
The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) organised demonstrations in Doomdooma and Makum as part of its statewide agitation in Tinsukia district.
Responding to AASU’s statewide call, the Doomdooma Regional Students’ Union staged a protest outside the APDCL office and burnt an effigy of the state Power Minister. Protesters opposed the additional electricity charges, saying they would place an unfair burden on ordinary consumers.
“The government cannot impose additional financial burdens on people in the name of power tariff adjustments,” a protester said.
The demonstrators also raised concerns over alleged errors in prepaid smart-meter billing. They accused APDCL of failing to ensure accurate and transparent billing and said the meters had caused financial hardship instead of providing the promised benefits.
“The authorities must immediately rectify all smart-meter irregularities and ensure that consumers are not exploited through faulty billing,” another protester said. The protester warned that the students’ organisation would continue to raise the issue if the grievances remained unaddressed. A similar demonstration was held in Makum.
The protests come after the Assam Electricity Regulatory Commission approved APDCL’s proposal to recover around Rs 155.59 crore in accumulated Fuel and Power Purchase Price Adjustment Surcharge (FPPPAS) for April-August 2026. The amount will be recovered in phases between November 2026 and March 2027.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described the additional charge as temporary. He said it would increase electricity bills by around 4–5 paise per unit and assured consumers that it would be withdrawn once the situation stabilised.
The latest protests have renewed concerns over prepaid smart meters, which have faced repeated opposition from consumers in Assam.
AASU has demanded immediate corrective measures, transparent billing and relief for electricity consumers.