Will file defamation suit against Rahul Gandhi: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

‘APDCL will replace defective smart meters, if any’

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that he would file a defamation suit against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after Prime Minister Narendra Modi winds up his proposed visit to Assam, scheduled for April 14.

Rahul Gandhi tweeted recently involving Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The English rendering of the tweet is something like, “They hide the truth, that’s why they mislead every day!

The question remains the same: Who has Rs 20,000 crore in benami money in Adani’s companies?” he added, posting graphics that named five Congress turncoats, including Himanta Biswa Sarma, to spell Adani.

Asked about Rahul Gandhi’s recent tweet in his press briefing, the Chief Minister said, Definitely, the tweet is defamatory. Once PM goes back from Assam, we will respond to the tweet, and definitely there will be a defamation case in Guwahati, but not now. I don’t want to talk about politics. We want to celebrate the Bihu first.”

On Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s recent Assam visit, the Chief Minister said, “I am still waiting for an invitation from Kejriwal because I want to demystify how 12 lakh employment is possible where the sanctioned posts in the Delhi Government are 1.50 lakh. I want to ask him that question. If Assam has 4 lakh sanctioned posts, how can we appoint 12 lakh people? He, however, cannot say later that the jobs were given to private companies in Delhi.”

On the reported inflated power charge in prepaid smart meters, the Chief Minister said, “After the installation of prepaid smart meters, in the first month the charge may be slightly higher as the unpaid bill of the previous month is added to that. If anybody feels an unnatural power charge, they need to lodge complaints with the APDCL. They will go to the consumers’ houses and make everything clear. In earlier complaints, the consumers were satisfied with the explanation from the APDCL side. A recent survey on smart meters shows that Assam’s power consumers are satisfied with smart meters. There may be defective meters in a few cases. The APDCL will replace them. APDCL never overcharges consumers. I have instructed the APDCL to open a helpline for consumers to lodge complaints, if any, regarding smart meters.”

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