Maharashtra Congress protests against Adani group over smart meter installation, power tariff hike

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Congress on Thursday staged a protest at Bandra Kurla Complex here seeking an immediate halt to the installation of smart meters by the Adani Group.

The opposition party also protested against hike in electricity tariffs in the state.

Maharashtra Congress' working president Naseem Khan said Adani Electricity had hiked the power tariff and was looting Mumbaikars under the guise of smart meters.

"We demand that smart meter installation be stopped and hike in electricity tariff be immediately rolled back," Khan said.

The party said its 'morcha' was stopped by the police.

Later, a delegation led by Leader of Opposition in the assembly Vijay Wadettiwar met representatives of Adani Electricity.

Mumbai Congress president and Mumbai North Central MP Varsha Gaikwad, Rajya Sabha MP Chandrakant Handore and MLC Bhai Jagtap took part in the protest.

Last year, the Adani Group bagged two contracts worth Rs 13,888 crore from a state-owned discom to install smart meters.

A total of six tenders were awarded by the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) to install smart meters, of which two were bagged by the Adani Group, according to an official communique from the discom.