SHILLONG, May 4: The Ministry of Power has approved Rs 310 crore for installation of smart meters in Meghalaya and Rs 870 crore loss reduction in the distribution system.
Addressing the reporters here, Deputy Chief Minister and Minister in-charge of Power department, Prestone Tynsong, informed about his meeting with Union Power Minister RK Singh in the national capital.
“As far as installation of smart meters is concerned, around Rs 310 crore has been approved by the Ministry of Power, Government of India, and relating to reduction of losses in the distribution system, about Rs 870 crore has been approved,” Tynsong said.
“Very soon, we will get the sanctioned amount and once that is done, we will start implementing this proposal throughout the state of Meghalaya. I am sure that once it is in place, we will be able to reduce to the maximum the revenue leakage,” he added.
He also informed that the supply as well as installation of smart meters is under way.
“We have already started installing the smart meters. So, for the second phase, which was just approved recently, I cannot say anything until and unless we get the sanction in black and white,” he added.
On the apprehensions flagged by the Synjuk Waheh Shnong in Jaintia Hills about installation of the smart meters, Tynsong said, “I have already instructed the MeECL management to work out the details and also to reach out to each and every village throughout the state, not only in Jaintia Hills, to explain the plus and minus of the smart meter implementation to the beneficiaries and households.”
It is pertinent to note that Tynsong had earlier informed that the Centre has approved an amount of over Rs 1,100 crore under the Revamped Distribution Service System (RDSS) scheme to revamp the power distribution system in Meghalaya.
Tynsong, after meeting the union power minister, had also informed that the funds to be made available under the RDSS will be utilised to install smart meters and additional transformers in various places of the state.
“We are looking to streamline the supply of power in each and every village through the RDSS scheme. It will be a blessing for the people of the state,” Tynsong had said, arguing that installation of smart meters would improve the billing system since meter readers were finding it difficult to visit every house every month to prepare the bill.
