VIJAYAWADA: The three power distribution companies (Discoms) — APSPDCL, APCPDCL and APEPDCL — are set to invite tenders for supply and installation of 17.07 lakh smart energy meters as a part of Dr YSR Free Agriculture Power Scheme. The three Discoms added additional features including development of mobile application for farmers in the tenders that have been sent for judicial preview.
Though the three Discoms had sent the tender documents for judicial preview in November last year, they have added more features and resubmitted them on Tuesday. “We had included IRDA/Bluetooth, mobile application development for farmers and other features and sent for judicial vetting. If there are any objections/views, they can be submitted before March 3,” chairman and managing director of APCPDCL J Padma Janardhan Reddy said. The mobile application would be installed for all agriculture connection holders so that the consumer can view all the details of consumption, payment and other related information.
There are about 18 lakh agriculture connections across the 13 districts and the department has already implemented direct benefit transfer (DBT) by installing stock meters in Srikakulam district last year. Now, the tenders would be floated for 17.07 lakh meters — 11 lakh under APSPDCL, 4 lakh under APCPDCL and 2.07 lakh under APEPDCL. “We expect to get the judicial preview’s clearance in two weeks,” an official said.
The smart meters will enable utilities to record agricultural consumption data and plug gaps, if any, to streamline the process of the free power scheme, for which the government spends `8,353 crore annually as subsidy.