Dhanbad, Nov 19 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Dhanbad Raj Sinha has been selected for the prestigious “Outstanding MLA” award of the Jharkhand Assembly for 2025, a government statement said on Wednesday.

Dhanbad: Electricity connections of around 20,000 consumers were reportedly disconnected in Dhanbad over pending dues and smart meter related issues, with residents alleging that despite paying their bills, they were asked to pay again.Consumers have raised concerns over discrepancies in billing and lack of transparency in the smart meter system.Taking cognizance of the matter, Dhanbad MLA Raj Sinha met JBVNL (Dhanbad Circle) General Manager Ashok Kumar Sinha on Thursday and objected to the sudden action. Sinha termed disconnection without notice as unfair and demanded that consumers be clearly informed about smart meter operation and billing mechanism.Jharia MLA Ragini Singh also criticized JBVNL, saying irregular billing practices and lump sum charges after disconnection are unacceptable. He urged the officials to thoroughly investigate the complaints received after installation of smart meters and provide immediate relief to the affected consumers.Dhanbad Mayor Sanjeev Singh termed the large-scale cut in basic services like electricity, especially during festivals, as a serious issue. He stressed the need for prompt resolution of all complaints related to smart meters.Responding to the concerns, Sinha clarified that under the prepaid smart meter system, the connection is automatically disconnected when the balance becomes negative, which is a built-in feature. “Connections from Ranchi were disconnected and affected only those consumers whose balance was exhausted,” he said.He assured that consumers will be given one month’s time to clear the dues, with the option to pay in instalments. “Efforts are underway to restore most of the connections by evening,” he said.