The awarding of the tender for the state’s smart meter project under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) was announced by Power Minister AT Mondal on Tuesday, marking a significant step forward for the Meghalaya government in modernizing its power distribution network. It is anticipated that the Letter of Intent (LOI) will be issued soon. “The tender has already been granted. The LOI will be released shortly. To guarantee a seamless rollout of smart meters, we will interact with customers,” Mondal said.
Mondal acknowledged the public’s concerns and pointed out that when new technology is introduced, people often have reservations. Naturally, there is reluctance anytime a new system is implemented; this is true not only of smart meters but of any innovation. Similar difficulties were subsequently overcome and the meters were successfully installed in other states as well. Meghalaya is lagging behind in the rollout, he said. “We are one of the states that has yet to adopt smart meters. Due to issues, such as some companies being blacklisted, we were unable to complete the tender earlier.
Mondal brought up this matter with the Ministry of Power as well. “I brought up this issue with the Union Power Minister. Frequently, we only find out about a company’s blacklisting at the very end of the tendering process. The Union Minister responded by promising prompt action. “In order to screen blacklisted firms early in the tendering process, he directed that a dedicated portal be created to list them,” Mondal added.
