Mandatory yoga, smart electric meters and a gag order for employees in Bengal

A large section of state government employees are upset over instructions to attend a dress rehearsal at 6 am on Monday, 16 June in preparation for the International Day of Yoga on 21 June 2026. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to lead the exercise on the Brigade Parade Ground. Employees across the state have been directed to participate in district and subdivisional headquarters for ‘healthy ageing through Yoga’.

The ageing employees are far from amused, it would seem. Not many agree to speak, pointing to a gag order on speaking to the media, one of the first decisions taken by the BJP government in the state. Several employees did speak on condition of anonymity. Even employees with medical conditions, they cribbed, had been asked to report. Their supervisors have no clarity and have asked employees to be present nevertheless at the dress rehearsal, assuring that they would try to seek exemptions for the ailing and the physically handicapped.

A section of the employees from Kolkata but posted in the districts are upset because they are being forced to cut short their weekend in Kolkata and rush back on Sunday evening, instead of Monday morning. ‘How else do we attend the dress rehearsal at 6 am?’ asked one of them. Another employee said the order had created inconvenience for many staff members who travel long distances every week.

"We have no objection to Yoga Day, but the timing of the programme is causing difficulties for us," the employee added. Some employees have also raised concerns about their health conditions. "I suffer from varicose veins and cannot perform many physical exercises. There are others with medical problems," said a staff member.

Resentment is brewing among employees because yet another notification has made installation of smart electricity meters at home mandatory for government employees, teachers, professors, police personnel and staff of government-aided institutions. All Bengal Consumers Association (ABCA) and West Bengal Government Employees Union have protested the move, pointing out that no provision in the Electricity Act, 2003 makes smart meters compulsory.

ABCA general secretary Subrata Biswas questioned the legal basis of the order and recalled that the 10 June circular contradicted assurances made earlier by the Union power minister that smart meters would not be installed forcibly anywhere in the country. The notification directs all departments, district administrations and police authorities to ensure

implementation of the scheme among employees whose salaries, remuneration or honoraria are paid from the state exchequer. The government says the move is part of the Centre's Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), under which smart meters are being rolled out across the country.

Arijit Das, an electrical engineer, explained that the digital devices record electricity consumption and transmit the data to electricity distribution companies through GSM, 4G, radio frequency networks, NB-IoT and power-line communication systems. Unlike conventional meters, they allow real-time monitoring of electricity use and can be read remotely.

Around 60,000 smart meters were installed in parts of West Bengal during an earlier phase of the programme. Numerous consumers subsequently complained that their electricity bills had risen unexpectedly. Others objected to the prepaid model, under which electricity supply could be interrupted if the balance in the meter ran out. Das said, “Recognising these concerns, the state government has now announced that residential smart meters will operate primarily on a post-paid basis. Consumers will receive bills after using electricity, much as they do today, rather than paying in advance.”

Kinkar Adhikari, General Secretary of Shikshanuragi Oikya Mancha, said that smart meters often lead to higher costs and technical difficulties. An irate school headmaster asserted, "Our homes are private spaces; there is no room for government interference there".

The smart meter programme aims to modernise India's electricity distribution system. One of the largest players in this sector is Adani Energy Solutions Limited. The company says it has already installed millions of smart meters across multiple states and is among the biggest smart meter service providers in India. Recent corporate announcements show that the company is rapidly expanding its smart metering business and positioning itself as a major participant in the national rollout. Critics say smart meters is the beginning of a corporate handout of electricity distribution.

Officials claim the installation of smart meters in government employees' housing complexes as a pilot phase before a wider rollout among ordinary consumers. "Initially, smart meters will be installed in the homes of government employees. If any glitches are detected and rectified, the system will subsequently be rolled out to the homes of general consumers."

Why is compulsion necessary, ask critics and say that if consumers previously reported higher bills, what independent investigation was conducted into those complaints? If the government wants public acceptance, why not allow citizens to choose between conventional and smart meters?

In a little over a month after taking over, the BJP government in the state has managed to alienate a section of the employees while others believe that the government must be given the benefit of the doubt.