‘No smart meter charge’

SHILLONG, March 5: Power Minister, James PK Sangma today asserted that consumers would not be charged for installation of smart meters. He dismissed reports that a consumer has to pay Rs 10,000 for smart meters, claiming that is was a misinformation.
“I don’t know where this figure has come from. I would like to state that I will place the facts before the Assembly,” Sangma told reporters here, while reiterating that consumers would not be burdened.
It may be mentioned that the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) had recently submitted a memorandum to the Power minister requesting him to keep the smart meter project in abeyance. The group had claimed that a consumer had to pay Rs 9,444.44 (without taxes and provisional sum) for installation of the smart meter which is way higher than other states where the cost of each meter is around Rs 3,000.
Asked about the rooftop solar scheme of the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL), the Power minister said registration on the portal has begun and the response has been good so far.
“We feel that the roof top solar project is going to help many households and it is not just a step towards making Meghalaya a major player on renewable energy. But it is also a step towards a making consumer set a different trend altogether. We are hoping this project is not just the beginning. We want to make sure we increase the amount of consumers in the future,” James said.