LUCKNOW, May 18 -- Special grievance redressal camps launched by Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (MVVNL) and the Lucknow Electricity Supply Administration on May 15 are witnessing a heavy footfall as consumers continue to grapple with inflated electricity bills, missing meter readings and technical glitches in smart meters across the state capital. According to electricity department officials, nearly 120 consumers visited the camps on both May 15 and 16. The complaints have surged at a time when the department is rapidly expanding smart meter installations in urban and semi-urban areas. However, instead of simplifying billing, many consumers allege that the new meters have led to sudden spikes in electricity charges and irregular bill generation. Consumers can visit camps set up at substations in Amausi, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow Central and Jankipuram zones between 10 am and 5 pm till May 22. MVVNL managing director Riya Kejriwal has directed chief engineers to maintain daily records of complaints received and resolved during the campaign. Officials said complaints related to inflated bills, faulty or stopped readings and non-generation of bills constitute nearly half of the grievances being registered. At the GPRA substation camp in Jankipuram, several residents alleged that their smart meters had stopped transmitting readings. Anju, a resident of GPRA Jankipuram, said consumers had to repeatedly visit electricity offices to know their bill amounts. Another consumer, Baby, alleged that her electricity charges rose sharply after installation of a smart meter. In Gomti Nagar and Gomti Nagar Extension Sector-1, around 100 complaints were recorded over two days, with consumers alleging that meters were running unusually fast. Chief engineer Sushil Garg said several complaints were resolved on the spot. At Amaniganj in Malihabad, inflated bills were corrected after verification. Mujiburrahman's bill was revised from Rs.11,000 to Rs.2,500, while Kalimullah Khan's bill was reduced from Rs.28,000 to Rs.14,000 after officials found incorrect meter readings. Another serious complaint came from Vinod Srivastava of Tiwari Purwa, who alleged that a documentation error during smart meter installation resulted in a bill of nearly Rs.1.36 lakh being issued in his name....