State Minister for Energy Anindya Islam Amit said nationwide installation of smart prepaid meters is essential to permanently resolve customers’ long-running complaints of so-called ghost electricity bills. Speaking in parliament on Wednesday, he said billing-related problems would effectively disappear if smart prepaid meters could be installed everywhere in the country.

The minister asked members of parliament to support smart prepaid meter installation work in their respective areas. He said the government has taken special measures to provide immediate solutions to complaints about abnormal bills, and that the number of such complaints has fallen significantly compared with earlier periods.

According to Amit, separate desks have been established at every power centre and customer service centre to hear complaints. The desks include hotline numbers and designated focal persons so customers can obtain solutions more easily. He said discussions have helped resolve many complaints on reasonable grounds, although some isolated faults or problems may remain. He described ensuring smart prepaid meters across all areas as the only effective permanent solution.