Smart Meters and School Fee Reforms: Himachal's New Initiatives

In a session at the Vidhan Sabha, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu pledged to correct any inflated electricity bills resulting from the recent installation of smart meters across Himachal Pradesh. Responding to queries from Congress MLA Ram Kumar, Sukhu explained that the installations follow central guidelines and urged consumers to report discrepancies to the Executive Engineer for swift resolution.

Concerns regarding the slow replacement of smart meters in certain regions were also addressed. The Chief Minister promised a thorough investigation to identify the causes of these delays and gather necessary information from the relevant officials.

Simultaneously, Education Minister Rohit Thakur discussed plans to reform private school fee regulations, taking cues from states like Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka. He emphasized that while current laws under the Himachal Pradesh Regulation Act lack specific fee-setting provisions, efforts would be made to curb excessive charges. Thakur also noted significant growth in admissions under the Right to Education Act after state-led awareness campaigns.