‘Discoms ‘ignoring’ quality in rush to buy meters’

In their bid to meet the target of installing energy meters at around 70 lakh unmetered premises in the state by 2018, the power distribution companies (discoms) may compromise with quality. The Meerut discom has already placed orders worth Rs 400 crore for the purchase of new meters with others discoms, including the Lucknow, giving final touches to meter procurement tenders.

The sources said the power distribution companies were giving the quality parameters the go-by either due to compulsions arising from the demandsupply constraints or for other reasons.

It is said some of the companies whose meters had failed the lab test a few years ago and the UPPCL had taken action against them for the same had also bagged the contracts for meter supply.

“Discoms are ignoring quality control mechanism in their hurry to purchase meters which will only affect consumers later on,” UP Rajya Vidyut Upbhokta Parishad president, Avadhesh Kumar Verma alleged.

He demanded the government to set up a high-level quality control committee to examine tenders and meters procured thereafter.

“Sample meters should also be sent to an expert body for quality examination,” he stressed.

The purchase of sub-standard meters by the discoms is not a new thing. Earlier, they purchased a large number of Chinese meters which they are now replacing on finding these meters are not working properly.

Meters purchased from some other Indian firms were also found to be erratic in behaviour prompting the UPPCL to send their meters to the IIT-K for test and blacklisting some of the suppliers.

Apart from installing 70 lakh meters on unmetered premises in villages, the discoms are also gearing up to purchase 40 lakh smart meters for cities.

The discoms need another 1.50 crore meters to meet their obligation to provide electricity to all households by 2019.

“There is no doubt the UPPCL needs to exercise an extreme caution in purchasing meters because compromise with quality may spell financial ruin for it,” warned a senior official.