Gandhinagar: With the ongoing protests across the state over the installation of smart meters by the Gujarat government-run Distribution Companies (DISCOMs), the Managing Director of Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam, Jai Prakash Shivhare, addressed the media today.

During his address, the IAS Shivhare said, “All the four DISCOMs are installing Smart Meters across the state. When these meters were launched, they were first installed in GEB colonies near thermal power stations and tested there. Only after confirming their proper functioning did the smart meter installation begin in societies. As the name suggests, the smart meter is a good device with more accuracy and better functionality.

“People can monitor real-time information on power consumption and recharge it whenever they want. Whether they are in the office or out, they can check the power usage. As technology is always evolving, we also move towards advanced systems, such as this meter. It does not have any problems; we have kept vigilance and check it. After 100% assurance, we proceeded with the installations,” he added.

Shivhare stated that so far, 50,000 meters have been installed, and there have been no issues with any of the meters. Some people made viral messages, but we conducted checks in all those cases and found nothing wrong. We can confidently say that the smart meter is a better meter and is being installed for the benefit of the people.

Regarding the ongoing protests, the senior IAS officer said, “We want to work with the cooperation of everyone. We are not installing these meters without permission. In all government offices, such as collector offices, Mamlatdar offices, and Prant offices, where people visit frequently, we will put both meters on display so that people can see that both meters provide accurate readings.”

“Earlier, we used to install check meters in 5% of cases, but now whoever wants a check meter, we will install one at their house. This is a very good and transparent system, and there is nothing to hide. Checks have been done on every complaint received, and so far, no faults have been found,” he added.

Shivhare also requested that people from the media install smart meters in their houses to see for themselves and spread the right information to the public. He mentioned that they will revisit the inducements to install them so that they can create awareness among the people about the smart meters.

The GUVNL MD also clarified that earlier the system was designed so that if someone had pending dues, the amount was being adjusted in the meter on an EMI basis, which caused some people to believe their power bills had risen suddenly. However, now the power companies will give a full pending bill to the customer with time to pay it. This will eliminate the confusion regarding the extra charges in the meter. DeshGujarat