Higher rates quoted for installation prompts Govt to seek review from
Shillong, Feb 2: The state government has continued its pursuance with the Centre on the higher rates proposed by contractors for installation of Smart Meters for electricity consumers in the state.
Rates quoted by prospective contractors for implementation of the Smart Meter project have consistently been higher than the initial estimates made by the state government.
However, the proposed rates are in line with those in the neighbouring states in the North East, meaning little chance of lesser rates quoted by contractors in subsequent tenders.
This has prompted the state government to appeal for a review on the rates from the Centre.
“We have petitioned the Government of India and raised the matter at the Power Ministers’ Conference,” said power minister AT Mondal.
However, he said, the Centre wanted the state government to implement the project first and recover the cost through savings to be generated from the revenue.
“We have not received any positive response yet. Government of India’s stance is that we should implement the Smart Meter project, and from the resulting savings, we will be able to recover the costs,” he said.
Meanwhile, keeping in view the consumers’ concern over reliability of Smart Meters, the power minister assured the public that stringent quality checks would be enforced to make the system beneficial for the consumers.
“We won’t simply procure and install these meters without approvals from designated agencies. Consumer interest remains our top priority,” he affirmed.
To address fears of inflated bills, the government plans to conduct simultaneous checks using both conventional and smart meters to compare readings.
Stating that Smart Meters provide accurate data, Mondal said, “If the actual consumption is higher, it will naturally reflect in the bills. But when power usage is efficient, consumers can benefit from precise readings.”
