DAVID LAITPHLANG
Continuous reports of numerous skeletons in the closet of the only surviving revenue generating (not profit making) entity of Meghalaya are now picking up pace, threatening to bring the once unassailable Meghalaya Energy Corporation Ltd (MeECL) crashing down.
Eyebrows were raised last week when a team from Delhi imparted training to close to 200 employees of the corporation, in the process violating established Covid-19 protocols. The team was sent by Satnam Global, a North India-based company that bagged the Rs 232-plus crore contract to implement the centrally-sponsored ‘Saubhagya Scheme’ in the state. The scheme envisages statewide installation of smart electricity meters for subsequent digital billing and payment.
According to sources in the MeECL, this unwarranted health scare was deemed necessary because the state power body has been displaying an extremely high rate of dedication in completing this vast and challenging project even amidst the pandemic.
Now, upon further investigation, it has emerged that the meters were not meant to be introduced in Meghalaya so hurriedly, as if some deadline was lapsing, because the Union Power Ministry has decided to emphasise on the introduction of smart meters in Union Territories first. Besides, there is an already existing smart meter programme being implemented elsewhere in the country with no state investment upfront.
However, it appears as though the implementation of the scheme was not on the central government’s mind, if one goes by the nature of the meeting chair by Union Power Secretary Alok Kumar “regarding privatisation of power departments/utilities and smart meter rollout in UTs” held on May 28. Minutes of the detailed meeting were released via an office memorandum on June 7 signed by an Under Secretary to the government of India (GoI).
The Power Secretary was aided by three other officials and the meeting had adequate representation from the Home Ministry, all six Union Territories, central power utilities and EESL (Energy Efficiency Services Ltd) and National Smart Grid Mission Project Management Unit (NPMU) along with requisite support staff and officials. No state was invited.
While the first agenda was to discuss the way forward on complete privatisation of power departments/utilities in all union territories at the earliest possible time, the second dwelt at length on expeditious implementation of smart meters in all UTs.
Elaborating, the Power Secretary informed that the ministry presented a new Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme to the Prime Minister, who desired that “Smart metering should be taken up immediately in mission mode in all the UTs, so as to demonstrate advantages to the entire country and, secondly, all the 11 KV feeders should be monitored online through communicable meters without any human intervention.”
Stressing on the expeditious rollout of the project in all UTs, the Power Secretary announced that “Smart metering projects being taken up by states/UTs post January 2020 will be eligible for GoI financing support under the new scheme,” known as the Smart Meter National Programme (SMNP).
This programme aims to replace 25 crore conventional meters with smart meters in India. Smart meters are connected through a web-based monitoring system which will help to reduce commercial losses of utilities, enhance revenues and serve as an important tool in power sector reforms.
A leading public power utility, EESL, is successfully implementing the programme under the
