`Smart meters benefit only corporates, not farmers’

Former Secretary to Central Government, EAS Sarma, has urged the Andhra Pradesh government to drop the proposal to call for tenders for smart meters, for, it will allow only private suppliers to profiteer at the cost of farmers

Visakhapatnam: Former Secretary to Central Government, EAS Sarma, has urged the Andhra Pradesh government to drop the proposal to call for tenders for smart meters, for, it will allow only private suppliers to profiteer at the cost of farmers.

In a letter addressed to Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy here on Wednesday, he referred to reports that the State government is considering installing smart meters for irrigation pump sets throughout the State.

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Considering the high cost of smart meters, the net benefit of such metering is negative and it is only the private companies that supply smart meters that are the net gainers, not the farmers and many expert studies corroborate this, he noted.

“I understand that the State government has commissioned an expert study to evaluate the costs and benefits of smart meters. Has the govt received any report on this? What are the findings? Why has the government not placed the report in the public domain? I suggest that you instruct the Energy Department to take the farmers and the public in confidence before placing any order for smart meters,” Dr. Sarma wrote.

He also suggested that the State should shift its focus from centralised solar plants run by big business groups to individual solar irrigation pumpsets and solar rooftop panels which, if provided reverse metering, can save energy transmission losses and give income to consumers from sale of surplus energy to the grid. States like Gujarat, Kerala etc. are moving fasti in that direction, whereas AP seemed to favour big business houses at the cost of farmers.