Agartala, July 08, 2025: The Tripura government will install smart electricity meters across the state free of cost, including in the residences of all cabinet ministers and the Chief Minister. This was announced by Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath during a press conference at his official residence in Agartala city on Monday.

“Smart meters will be installed free of cost in various places across the state. From today, the process has started at the residences of all cabinet ministers, including the Chief Minister. One has also been installed at my home today,” said Nath.

He informed that out of over 10 lakh electricity consumers in the state, smart meters have already been installed for about 90,000 consumers. “Our aim is to gradually expand this to all government offices. Within the next seven days, we will complete installation of smart meters in the homes of 2,700 employees of the Electricity Corporation,” the Minister added.

To support this rollout, Nath stated that two new monitoring rooms have been constructed within the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) premises and will be inaugurated shortly.

Referring to the broader national context, Nath noted, “Assam has the highest number of smart meter installations in the country. Other states like Sikkim and even the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have also moved ahead with this technology.”

Dismissing concerns about billing issues, Nath assured consumers that smart meters ensure transparency. “There is no chance of inflated bills with smart meters. People won’t have to pay estimated charges anymore,” he added.

He also highlighted a major upcoming infrastructure upgrade in Agartala: “Within the next one year, all power conductors in Agartala city will be laid underground. The Chief Minister has shown special interest in this project.”