The electricity board disconnected a Bilaspur panchayat pradhan's home after he refused a smart meter. The clash highlights local resistance, disputed notices and concerns over consumer hardship.
Bilaspur,Oct 18, 2026 12:16 IST
A dispute over the installation of smart meters intensified in Himachal Pradesh after the electricity board disconnected power supply to the home of a panchayat pradhan who had refused to install one, news agency Press Trust of India reported.
Vinay Kumar Sharma, pradhan of the Kapahada gram panchayat in Bilaspur district, on Sunday threatened to remove electricity poles and wires installed on his private land if the power supply was not restored.
Sharma opposed the disconnection and said the board's directive surpassed even the oppressive measures of the British. He also demanded the immediate removal of all electricity poles and wires from his land.
He said the electricity board had issued notices to him and his late father on October 14 for not installing a smart meter. The notices warned that the power connection would be disconnected if the meter was not installed within 24 hours. The power supply to his home was cut shortly afterwards, he said.
Sharma objected to a notice being issued in the name of his late father and urged the board to consider consumers' concerns and address their objections.
According to Sharma, the panchayat had unanimously passed a resolution on August 9 asking the board not to replace the existing electricity meters. Residents feared that the installation of smart meters could cause significant hardship.
“The resolution was communicated to the executive engineer. Yet, the board went ahead with the installation process. I have also filed a petition on this matter in the Himachal Pradesh High Court,” Sharma said.
Ramesh Kumar, an assistant engineer with the electricity board, told Press Trust of India that consumers had been informed beforehand that their connections would be cut under the existing policy if they refused to install smart meters. The board maintained that power connections are disconnected when consumers fail to install smart meters after receiving a 24-hour notice.
The dispute now centres on the disconnection of Sharma's power supply, the panchayat's opposition to replacing existing meters and his demand that the board remove its poles and wires from his private land.
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