Union Power Minister Manohar Lal on Saturday urged all states to give top priority to implementing prepaid smart meters at government offices and residential colonies. Speaking at the regional power sector conference, he emphasized that prepaid smart meters at government sites would significantly enhance revenue management and cut operational losses across power generation, transmission, and distribution networks. “Installing prepaid meters at government establishments will not only boost revenue optimization but also reduce inefficiencies within the power sector,” he said.
The event saw participation from several key leaders, including Tripura’s Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath, Meghalaya’s A T Mondal, Mizoram’s F Rodingliana, and Sikkim’s Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang. During his address, Lal underscored the need for a modern, resilient, and financially sustainable power sector to drive India’s ambition of becoming a developed economy. He stressed that the ongoing efforts must address not just current power supply gaps, but also anticipate future demand growth.
Highlighting progress made since 2014, Lal pointed out significant increases in power generation across thermal, hydro, atomic, and renewable sources. However, he called for even greater focus on scaling generation capacity, especially with an eye towards clean energy to meet net zero emission targets. He also noted that government initiatives like RDSS and PM-JANMAN are addressing challenges in the distribution segment and helping expand electrification to the remaining households.
The Minister acknowledged persistent issues facing the distribution sector, including inefficient tariff structures, low billing and collection efficiency, and delayed payments from government departments. He stressed the importance of reducing Aggregate Technical & Commercial (AT&C) losses and ensuring tariffs reflect actual costs, to make the distribution sector financially viable.
He further encouraged the North Eastern states to harness their significant hydro and pumped-storage power potential to strengthen regional and national energy security. Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, in his welcome remarks, shared the state’s initiatives to enhance the reliability and quality of power supply and called for central government support to address critical sector challenges.
