VILLUPURAM: A few days after lauding the DMK govt, PMK founder S Ramadoss criticised the govt for not installing smart electricity meters. In a statement on Monday, Ramadoss said the govt has also not fulfilled its promise of introducing a monthly electricity billing system. He warned that voters would express their anger at the polls.He said Tamil Nadu follows a bimonthly electricity billing system, burdening middle-class families with higher bills and economic strain. He has demanded monthly metering since Nov 2015. He said the then electricity minister Thangam Thennarasu in June 2025 announced that smart meters would be installed for 80 lakh connections in nine districts to curb theft and enable precise billing.He said electricity minister S S Sivasankar in Dec 2025 said tenders were issued and the monthly billing system would be adopted post-installation. He said smart meters have been installed on a pilot basis in only one part of Chennai over the past five years of the DMK govt . Tangedco officials say the corporation needs another two years for the statewide implementation of the smart meter project.He pointed out that the assembly election might be held in May. “Heavy electricity usage will spike bills then. People across all classes will express their anger through their votes,” he said.
