UP power corporation Limited (UPPCL) in an ambitious drive to curb the power theft has placed the orders for the supply of 1 crore pre paid meters. The pre paid meters will be delivered and installed simultaneously in a year’s time, after due quality checks. The meters have to be as per the standards set by Bureau of Indian Standards.
The order has been placed as per the MOU signed by the UP government with the Center on April 1, 2017 under the centrally sponsored Saubhagya scheme, which aims to add more than 4 crore households to the power grid by December this year.
These meters will be installed in 13 district reporting maximum line losses. The prime cause of line loss in power theft. The installation of the pre paid meters particularly at the premises of the government clients like the minister’s bungalow, MLAs hostel and multi story buildings like Jawahar Bhawan and Indira Bhawan will curb the endemic problem of arrears. The outstanding power dues against the government clients till March 31 this year was over Rs 11,000 crore.
The contract for the supply of the pre paid meters have been bagged by the Larsen and Toubro and Noida based Genus power and Allied Engineering for supplying 10 million pre-paid meters to UPPCL under the Saubhagya scheme, which aims to add more than 4 crore households to the power grid by December this year.
Noida-based Genus Power Infrastructures won 50% of the order by quoting the lowest price at Rs 1,185 per meter. L&T was the second lowest bidder at Rs. 1,204 per meter. UPPCL had hired the services of the Central PSU Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), for supervising the tendering for pre paid meters. The EESL had floated the tender in November last year,
The UPPCL in October last year had announced to install pre paid or smart electricity meter to check line losses in 13 major cities including Lucknow, Gorakhpur and Varanasi. The power utility had said the smart metering system will be put in place in the localities where power theft is rampant.
According to UPPCL estimates, at least one-third of the areas of the 13 cities have a high rate of power theft. The meters, according to UPPCL sources, would be tamper proof and would eliminate the role of the linesman, with the readings going directly into the computer.
UPPCL sources said the pre paid meters would not only bring in transparency in power distribution system but would also improve electricity supply situation. "This will also help the state government in achieving the target set under the 24x7 'power for all' scheme,'' he said.
A senior UPPCL official said that the rural consumers too are proposed to be given pre-paid meters under Centre's `Saubhagya' scheme. He said that a metered power supply was necessary to check wastage of electricity.
The Power employees joint action committee protesting against the handing over of the power distribution in five districts to private operator `Integrated service provider’ had launched drive on March 24 against the big government clients who owe over Rs 11,000 crore to UPPCL.
The engineers of the Lucknow electricity supply administration (LESA) along with employees disconnected the power supply of the two MLA hostels who together owe Rs 6.12 crore. Power supply of Indira Bhawan and Jawahar Bhawan housing the head offices of several government departments, police and service tribunals. The outstanding on the close to Rs 4 crore. The power supply of the four state guest houses, one at MiraBai, Vikramaditya marg, Dalibagh and MG Marg was also disconnected. The outstanding on the 4 guest houses is close to Rs 14 crore. The UPPCL officials said that UP is on top in the list of the defaulter government departments was concerned.