Minister Reports 7.3 Million Smart Prepaid Meters Installed Nationwide by November
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New Delhi, Dec 17 (NationPress) A remarkable total of 7.3 million smart prepaid meters have been deployed in numerous states as of the end of November this year under the Centre's Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), as reported to Parliament.
While 197.9 million smart meters have been approved, 7.297 million devices have been successfully installed in various regions by November 29, even as some state governments are falling short of the financial goals established for Discoms under this initiative, stated Minister of State for Power Shripad Naik during a session in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
The data provided by the minister revealed that smart meter installations were 'nil' in states such as Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Rajasthan, and Punjab, despite a sanctioned total of 30 million, 547,000, 14.2 million, and 8.784 million devices in these states, respectively.
According to the numbers, 83,573 smart meters have been authorized for the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and 403,000 for Puducherry.
The Union Government initiated the RDSS with a budget of Rs 3,03,758 crore and anticipates a Government Budgetary Support (GBS) of Rs 97,631 crore from the central government over a five-year period, from FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26.
This initiative aims to decrease the Aggregate Technical & Commercial (AT&C) losses to a national level of 12-15 percent and to eliminate the Average Cost of Supply (ACS) - Average Revenue Realized (ARR) gap by 2024-25.
The scheme includes two primary components: Part 'A' - Financial assistance for Prepaid Smart Metering & System Metering and the enhancement of Distribution Infrastructure, and Part 'B' - Training & Capacity Building along with other Enabling & Support Activities. Financial support for DISCOMs is contingent on the improvement of Distribution Infrastructure and Prepaid Smart Consumer Metering & System Metering, based on the fulfillment of pre-qualifying criteria and achieving the essential minimum standards in reforms.
Programs under the Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS), Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY), and the Prime Minister's Development Package (PMDP)-2015 for Jammu & Kashmir will be integrated into this scheme, following their existing guidelines and conditions.
