Bhubaneswar, Sept. 23 (UDN): Odisha has installed 1,45,141 smart prepaid electricity meters across all 30 districts, with Khurda recording the highest number of installations, Energy Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo informed the State Assembly on Wednesday.
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The minister provided the details in a written reply to a question raised by Balangir MLA Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo.
Khurda Leads Meter Installation
Khurda topped the state with 36,744 smart prepaid meters, followed by Ganjam with 16,304 and Cuttack with 13,964 installations.
Angul accounted for 7,933 meters, while Kendrapara and Dhenkanal recorded 6,283 and 6,177 installations, respectively. Koraput had 5,227 smart prepaid meters installed, according to the minister’s reply.
The installations form part of the state’s ongoing transition towards smart metering in the electricity distribution sector.
1,499 Billing Complaints Received
Addressing concerns over billing, the Energy Minister said the state’s distribution companies (DISCOMs) received 1,499 complaints regarding erroneous billing from smart prepaid meters during the past two years.
According to the minister, all the complaints received during the period have been resolved.
Balangir Agricultural Feeders Get Over 23 Hours Of Supply
The minister also shared details of electricity supply to agricultural consumers in Balangir district.
During the last irrigation season, agricultural feeders in the district received an average of 23 hours and 25 minutes of power supply per day, he said.
However, 5,419 agricultural pump-set connections were still pending in Balangir.
Of these, 5,310 applications were pending at the consumer end, while the remaining 109 were pending with TP Western Odisha Distribution Company Ltd (TPWODL).
The figures were placed before the Assembly amid questions on the expansion of smart prepaid metering, resolution of billing-related complaints and the status of electricity connections for agricultural consumers in the state.