Shimla, March 27 Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu informed the Vidhan Sabha on Friday that any discrepancies in higher electricity bills received after the installation of smart meters will be rectified.
Responding to a supplementary question from Congress MLA Ram Kumar, the chief minister stated that smart meters are being installed in the state according to the guidelines set by the Centre.
Referring to complaints regarding inflated bills following the installation of smart electricity meters across the state, the chief minister said that consumers may lodge complaints with the concerned Executive Engineer (XEN), who will be issued the necessary directives to address these issues.
The chief minister also acknowledged concerns regarding the slow pace of the smart meter replacement process in some areas. He assured that an investigation would be conducted to determine the reasons behind these delays, and information would be sought from the respective officials.
In reply to another question from MLA Ram Kumar, Education Minister Rohit Thakur said that several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Haryana, have changed regulations concerning private school fees, and the Himachal Pradesh government also intends to amend its rules to curb the practice of charging excessive fees by private schools.
He explained that private schools in the state are currently regulated under the Himachal Pradesh Regulation Act, 1997, which lacks specific provisions for determining fee structures.
The government does not set the fees charged by private schools, Thakur said, noting that if any MLA or elected representative has credible evidence regarding excessive fee collection, this information should be submitted to the government for appropriate action.
Additionally, he informed the House that under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, private schools are required to reserve 25 per cent of their seats for children from economically weaker sections and those living below the poverty line.
Initially, the number of admissions under this quota was low, with only about 650 students being admitted. However, after the state government launched a special awareness campaign and increased outreach efforts through the Education Department, that number has nearly doubled, the chief minister added.
