Do not link funds allotment with installation of smart meters-Power Engineers Federation

Published on: 31 Jul 2023 at 06:16 PM

Published by: The fact news

The Fact News Service

Chandigarh, July 31

Power Engineers Federation stated that the linking devolution of funds to states for installation of smart meters under a centrally sponsored scheme (CSS) constitutes an onslaught on federalism in India.

“The Union Ministry of Power provides to the states for installing smart meters at the consumers’ premises, as a part of the “reform” measures. However, the suggested model is heavily tilted in favour of private players for supplying, installing and maintaining smart meters. The Ministry claims that the installation of smart meters will result in an overall improvement in the technical and financial performance of State electricity utilities, yielding significant revenue savings. While metering electricity supply at the consumer’s end can yield some benefits, its viability critically depends on the cost of meters and their maintenance,” said E A S Sarma, former power secretary to the Government of India.

The PSEB Engineers Association claimed that the cost of a new smart meter is around Rs 6,600 and the grant is Rs 900 per unit. The cost of the existing meters is Rs 645, and the net grant stands reduced to Rs 250 per meter. PSPCL will be shelling out about Rs 10,000 per meter, including service charges. The Association has termed the conditions as ‘backdoor entry’ for privatisation of power distribution in Punjab..

The Centre is imposing schemes on the states in the name of CSSs, overriding the states’ own priorities. The Centre has made several unilateral moves that tend to reduce the political space available to the states in violation of the spirit of federalism that lies at the core of our constitution. States must collectively resist such moves, mentions Sarma in his letter.

V K Gupta a spokesperson of All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) said that this system of prepaid smart meters will speed up the process of handing over the government-run distribution companies to private capitalists and it will ease the process of privatising the distribution system. In case any meter becomes defective, getting the same replaced by a correct meter and getting rectification of bills produced by defective meter is utterly difficult, if not impossible.