Distribution transformers to get meters to track illegal use
Government to roll out meters on distribution transformers, feeders and consumers in urban areas
New Delhi: India will spend Rs25,300 crore to tackle rampant theft of electricity by rolling out metering in cities and upgrading old distribution networks, the power ministry said late on Thursday.Cutting electricity theft and reducing transmission losses are part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to bring uninterrupted power to the whole country, a key policy plank since his election in May.
Cheap or free power is viewed as a right rather than a privilege by many Indians, and poor policing and anitiquated transmission lines result in as much as 40 per cent of electricity going unpaid for in some Indian states.Under the scheme, the government will roll out meters on distribution transformers, feeders and consumers in urban areas, the power ministry said in a statement, following Cabinet approval of the project. The government will also strengt-hen sub-transmission and distribution networks.
These projects will help cut technical and commercial losses and improve collection efficiency, the ministry said. They will cost Rs 32,600 crore in total, of which Rs 25,300 crore will come from the government.According to a World Bank survey, the problem of electricity loss and theft is widespread across the states, with local politicians turning blind turn to this issue.
Indian firms rank electricity problem as the number one issue facing their businesses as they still depend on diesel power generators to run their business. As Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2005, Mr Modi was credited with tackling power shortages by clamping down on theft, and by repairing the fina-nces of local distribution companies hit hard by unpaid bills.
( Source : agencies )
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