Patna, Dec 16 (IANS): Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said on Wednesday that prepaid meters will be installed in every house of the state by March 2025.

While inaugurating an energy art gallery and auditorium in Patna, Kumar said that the installation of smart prepaid meters will begin from January 2022, and the power discoms have been directed to complete the same by March 2025.

The concept of smart prepaid meters was launched in Bihar for the first time in 2019. The completion of the initiative will be done in five phases.

"The smart prepaid meters have many advantages. The consumers, through prepaid connection, would know the quota of units, and hence they would not misuse it. It will create awareness among people to use electricity as per their requirements," Kumar said.

"We have received many complains of excessive billings in postpaid meters. The prepaid meters would minimise cases of wrongful connections. I am also appealing to the mediapersons to highlight the wrongdoings in the power sector. The department will take prompt action against the offenders," Kumar said.