Proving CM KCR’s warning true, UP calls tenders for smart meters

Hyderabad: Proving true Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s observations that efforts were on to impose pre-paid smart meters on every power connection by the BJP-led Centre while tyring to privatize power utilities, the BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh government has floated tenders for installation of 2.8 crore smart meters in UP. More so, corporate giants, including Adani […]

Hyderabad: Proving true Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s observations that efforts were on to impose pre-paid smart meters on every power connection by the BJP-led Centre while tyring to privatize power utilities, the BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh government has floated tenders for installation of 2.8 crore smart meters in UP.

More so, corporate giants, including Adani Group, GMR Group, L&T and others have reportedly submitted their bids for the tenders floated by Uttar Pradesh’s four power distribution companies (discoms). The cumulative estimated value of the tenders is about Rs.23,000 crore.

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As part of the smart meter project, the agencies, apart from installing the meters and other systems, have to manage the meter data, cloud services, communications and even the billing systems. This was touted to be part of the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 30 this year. Under the scheme, the Centre plans to replace 25 crore conventional meters across the country with smart meters.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, at the public meeting in Munugode on Sunday, had reiterated that apart from meters being affixed to pumpsets in agriculture fields, the union government was also planning to install smart meters to different consumers’ connections. He had also explained that the private companies would fix the meter cost and installation fee. To this effect, circulars were issued to State governments from the Prime Minister’s Office.

The union government under first phase of RDSS was reportedly aiming to replace 10 crore meters in areas where discoms were facing high losses by December 2023. The remaining areas were likely to be covered by March 2025.

Accordingly in Uttar Pradesh, Dakshinanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam (DVVNL), Purvanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam (PuVVNL), Pashchimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam (PVVNL), and Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam (MVVNL) have floated tenders.

DVVNL reportedly floated tender for installing 79.16 lakh smart meters at an estimated cost of Rs 4,576.11 crore while the PuVVNL’s tenders are for 77.5 lakh smart meters at an estimated cost of Rs.7,452.67 crore. PVVNL floated a tender for 66.84 lakh smart meters at an estimated cost of Rs 5,517.77 crore, while MVVNL floated a tender for 61.73 lakh smart meters at an estimated cost of Rs 5,454.86 crore.

Till date, around 50 lakh smart meters have already been installed in different States. Among all, highest number of meters have been installed in Uttar Pradesh (11.5 lakh), followed by Bihar (11 lakh), Rajasthan (5.5 lakh), Haryana (5.3 lakh) and Assam (4.1 lakh).

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had recently appealed to the Centre to withdraw the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, which he said would have serious ramifications for the poor and farmers in the country, and also on the poor who get subsidised power such as SC, ST households, barbers, washermen and weavers. A recent gazette notification had made it clear that fixing of a prepaid smart energy meter for every power connection, not just that of agricultural pump-sets, would be mandatory under the provisions of the amended bill, he had pointed out.