Telangana Rythu Sangham opposes smart prepaid meters for agriculture

Telangana Rythu Sangham leaders opposed the proposed Rythu Discom and installation of smart prepaid meters for irrigation connections, alleging that the State government was implementing Central power sector reforms that could pave the way for privatisation of electricity distribution services.

Khammam: Alleging that the Congress government, under pressure from the Centre, was establishing Rythu Discom, the third discom in the State, to privatise the power sector, Telangana Rythu Sangham district secretary Bonthu Rambabu criticised the move.

Speaking at a roundtable meeting held on the proposed Rythu Discom here on Friday, he noted that the Central government has been making intense efforts to implement reforms in the power sector since 2020.

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The Centre was pressuring State governments to join the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), being implemented under the guise of improving power distribution and infrastructure development, to hand over the power sector to private firms, Rambabu said.

The Electricity Amendment Bill was halted due to the Delhi farmers’ protest; however, the Centre issued circulars to States, adopting a backdoor approach for the implementation of the scheme. During a Cabinet meeting held on May 23, the State government gave its approval to join the RDSS.

The Southern and Northern Power Supply Corporations were providing efficient services. Setting up Telangana Rythu Power Distribution Company Limited (TGRPDCL) now has more drawbacks than benefits, he noted.

The government was offering a cash incentive of Rs 1,400 per meter to those who agree to the installation of smart meters. It paves the way for shifting agriculture away from being a State-funded social responsibility and transforming it into a revenue-generating commercial enterprise.

Vyavasaya Karmika Sangham district president Merugu Satyanarayana said the Telangana government has become a complicit partner in the Centre’s conspiracy to market smart meter products through corporate entities and pave the way for the privatisation of power distribution.

Telangana should become energy self-sufficient and retain its autonomy. Reforms in the power sector, specifically the introduction of smart prepaid meters, must be rejected, as they were being imposed under pressure from the Centre, the leaders said.