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Hans India
3 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Smart meter rollout sparks outcry
Vijayawada: CPM State Committee members Baburao and D Kasinath vehemently criticised the Andhra Pradesh Central Power Distribution Company Limited (APCPDCL)'s directive to install smart meters in residential homes. They displayed copies of the orders issued by APCPDCL while addressing a press conference here on Sunday. Baburao stated that it is 'deplorable' that the coalition government has ordered the installation of Adani prepaid smart electricity meters in homes as its 'first anniversary gift.' Within the CPDCL's jurisdiction, 1.028 million homes in major cities across the combined Krishna, Guntur, and Prakasam districts, totalling 17.24 lakh meters, have been slated for installation. Baburao asserted that the installation of Adani smart meters in every home is a 'systematic arrangement for Adani's permanent exploitation' of every family every day, every hour. The phased installation of 20 million smart meters in every home and commercial establishment across the state is estimated to impose a burden of Rs 25,000 crore on the public, with each meter and its maintenance costing approximately Rs 13,000. Consumers will reportedly be charged a meter rental fee of Rs 100 to Rs 200 per month for 93 months without their full awareness. The 'Time of the Day' metering system, which will record readings hourly and charge higher rates during peak consumption hours at night, will impose an 'even greater burden.' Baburao said that the Electricity Regulatory Commission has already amended its regulations to facilitate this, with the government issuing directives for meter installation for every consumer, including residential homes. He noted that an Adani office and warehouse have already been established at Vidyut Soudha, the main electricity office in Vijayawada, signifying the handing over of the electricity sector. He listed the towns where residential meter installations are initially ordered under CPDCL: Vijayawada, Guntur, Machilipatnam, Ongole, Chilakaluripeta, Gudivada, Amaravati, and Mangalagiri. He demanded a halt to smart meter installations in residential homes, removal of meters already installed in commercial establishments, cancellation of the meter agreement with Adani, and abolition of electricity adjustment charges. Kashi Nath added that a plan has been devised to install smart meters in 352,936 homes in Vijayawada alone. He mentioned that several protests have already been held in Vijayawada. He concluded by stating that it is 'improper' for 'father and son' Chandrababu and Lokesh to go back on their word.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
CPI(M) opposes installation of smart prepaid meters by Adani Transmission Step Seven in A.P.
CPI(M) State secretariat member Ch. Babu Rao and State committee member D. Kasinath on Sunday strongly opposed the installation of smart prepaid meters for LT1 domestic electricity connections in Andhra Pradesh. The CPI(M) leaders said that the AP Central DISCOM (CPDCL) has already given the go-ahead to Adani Transmission Step Seven Limited to start installing the devices in selected subdivisions in AMRUT cities. Mr. Rao at a press conference here released a copy of the letter written by CPDCL Chief General Manager (Projects) K. Linga Murthy to Adani Transmission Step Seven Limited regarding the installation of the smart meters under the Revised Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS). Mr. Rao termed it a 'gift' by the NDA government to the people on the occasion of completion of its first year in power and that the plan was to install the equipment in 4.10 million homes across the State in a phased manner. He said the stage has been set for exploitation of the people, and noted that by paving the way for installation of smart meters, the TDP, which had vehemently opposed the scheme in the past, has now betrayed the public by giving the installation a green signal. In the CPDCL jurisdiction, 10,28,000 homes in major cities and towns of Krishna, Guntur and Prakasam districts have been targeted. The CPI(M) leader said that the YSR Congress Party government had signed agreements for the installation of smart meters under pressure from the Centre and now the coalition government is following suit, adding that, 'the BJP, TDP and JSP were all complicit in the matter'. The installation of smart meters entailed a huge burden of nearly ₹25,000 crore on the public, and each device is costing ₹13,000. The NDA government has already imposed four types of adjustment charges, which resulted in a burden of approximately ₹15,485 crore on the people in the last nine months, Mr. Rao said adding that 'the smart meter plan included the collection of monthly rental charges ranging from ₹100 to ₹200 from each consumer for approximately seven-and-half-years.
