No smart meters for farmers, rollout limited to industrial, commercial consumers: AP energy minister
He directed the Discoms to proactively educate people, clarifying the smart meter policy and dispelling any misinformation or apprehensions about the technology.
A comprehensive review meeting was held on Monday by Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar, with participation from APEPDCL CMD Immadi Prudhvi Tej, to assess power supply within the APEPDCL jurisdiction. Officials reported that power supply aligns well with demand and emphasised that in nine out of eleven agriculture-focused districts, nine hours of continuous electricity is being reliably supplied to farming consumers.
The minister emphasised that misconceptions circulating on social media must be addressed through structured outreach efforts. He called on officials to engage directly with consumers, providing accurate information on where and why smart meters are being deployed, ensuring that any doubts are resolved before installations proceed.
Addressing infrastructure concerns, the Minister expressed concern about supply disruptions and instructed officers to proactively tackle low voltage issues.
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He inquired about the status of the RDSS (Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme) works and directed that local contractors be engaged to accelerate project execution. The Minister also reminded officials that central funding for Phase II of RDSS will be sanctioned only after the successful completion of Phase I.
The Minister reiterated that no smart meters are being introduced in the agricultural sector, reaffirming that installations are restricted to industrial and commercial consumers only.
He acknowledged the spread of false rumours on social media regarding smart meters and firmly instructed officials to launch public education efforts to dispel such misconceptions. He emphasised that smart meters should be installed only after receiving affirmative consumer feedback.
Officials also briefed the energy minister on the progress of the PM Surya Ghar scheme, noting that Eluru leads in implementation, followed by Visakhapatnam, West Godavari, and East Godavari. Acting on directions from chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, the energy minister instructed officials to ensure that at least 10,000 Surya Ghar solar connections are provided per constituency under the scheme. The review meeting was attended by directors, CGMs, and senior officials.
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