HC Seeks Centre, state reply on PIL against smart prepaid electricity meters

Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the Centre and the Maharashtra government in response to a PIL (No29/2025) challenging the proposed rollout of smart prepaid electricity metres across the state. The PIL was filed by Vidarbha Veej Grahak Sanghatana, a power consumers' association based in Yavatmal.
A division bench comprising Justices Nitin Sambre and Vrushali Joshi directed all respondents to submit their replies within three weeks. The respondents included – Union power and energy ministry principal secretary, Power Finance Corporation Limited's chairman and managing director, Maharashtra Department of Energy principal secretary, MSEDCL chief engineer in Mumbai and superintending engineer in Yavatmal.
The court has sought clarification regarding the legal and policy frameworks underpinning the transition to prepaid smart metres and whether such a modification is indeed compulsory.
The PIL contends that the existing electricity metres utilised by lakhs of consumers are operational and do not necessitate immediate replacement. The petitioners have been instructed by the court to place on record the pertinent documents and reasoning to substantiate their assertion that the replacement scheme is unwarranted.